Unknown Secrets
by Alpha Draconis1
Summary: In a world full of secrets, what if the person you thought to know the most, wasn't what he seemed after all?
1. Chapter 01: Secrets Unknown

This is the story of the unknown being that is the Third Child. Based on the original works by Hideaki Anno and Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, this tale will change the many of the events that transpired both in the anime and the manga. Taking place just after the 14th Angel, Zeruel, it explores the possibility of what might have happened had the Third Child possessed secrets of his own, secrets that may have surpassed even those of his father. With the introduction of characters from other series as well as novel characters from the author's imagination, the course of the story, as well as its past will be changed. Taken from the fantasies of the mind, I give this tale to you not for your pleasure, but for your thoughts.  
  
Disclaimer: The author of the story does not claim ownership either to the characters or to the story itself. Should anyone wish to make a parody, side-story, or any other change to the original writings, they may do so on the condition that they claim the entirety for their own.  
  
Secrets Unknown  
  
Cobalt eyes opened to the vision of immaculately white walls. The owner of those eyes sat up in his bed, and murmured two words, "Unfamiliar ceiling. . ." Taking a look around, he saw his reflection in the corner window. A young boy of 14 looked back at him, dark brown hair and a gentle face, melancholy and serious.  
  
Suddenly a voice, spoken like the wind whispered into his mind. "Are you all right?" it asked, the tones conveying concern, the words sounding decidedly feminine. That is, if he did not already know whom the voice belonged to. "I'm fine", he replied, careful not to let anybody hear his soft-spoken words. It wouldn't do for him to be classified any more of a mental instability than he already was. 'Then again', he mused, isn't hearing voices in your head supposed to be a sign of mental instability?'  
  
If the voice heard his unspoken thoughts, it did not respond to them. Instead, its next words conveyed more anxiety for the boy. "That was the third time I felt something from you like this."  
  
"Don't worry." he said "I can handle myself for a little while longer. I'd need to if those relatives of yours keep attacking us like this."  
  
"They are not my relatives and they are the least of our worries."  
  
"You're right. But they are for most everyone else. I'll have to worry about them too, at least for a while longer. Then I'll have other things to worry about."  
  
"I'm worried about you."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"Your comrade was right about one thing. You apologize too much."  
  
He smiled, a gentle line sloping across his face. "That was one of the few times you agreed with her."  
  
"Considering how she treats you, it's bound to stay as a few."  
  
Footsteps were now audible, approaching the door to his chamber. "They're coming."  
  
"Then I'll talk to you later. I have another mission myself."  
  
"Hope it's not as dangerous as the last one."  
  
"Not as dangerous as what you are doing. Goodbye for now."  
  
"Goodbye", he whispered just before the door to his room opened.  
  
Bright light streamed into the room from the doorway. A figure wearing a lab coat and glasses came through followed by a few others in similar uniforms. The first figure walked towards the bedridden boy, the ID on his coat identifying him as a member of the NERV medical staff.  
  
"Well I'm glad to see you're awake, Pilot Ikari."  
  
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Katsuragi Misato walked briskly to the NERV infirmary, where her charge was being kept. Relief mixed with concern was in her mind as she thought over the events that had transpired the day before. Her brow furrowed gently as she remembered the gruesome transformation of the Evangelion Unit 01.   
  
"That was the third time that it has happened, and I'm still in the dark as to how it does that. At least Asuka and Shinji are okay. I'll have to remember to take them out again for this one. I wonder if Kaji or Ritsuko knows anything. Why won't anybody tell me?"  
  
She continued on her way as she thought over everything that had happened, her body performing automatically as she walked into the elevator and punched the button for the Infirmary.  
  
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Amber shades hid Commander Ikari Gendo's eyes as he perused over the facts of their latest encounter with the Angels. A flicker of concern came over his features but lasted for only a second. The last battle, although won according to the scenario, had come close enough to failing for his taste. He didn't like the fact that things had come to such a situation. 'I must have more control over the battles in the future' he thought.  
  
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Behind the Commander, Sub Commander Fuyutsuki, stood in casual attention, watching his superior. He wondered what the Commander was thinking right now. 'Though if I were to bet on it, it would be something about Yui or Project E. Still, I better keep my silence when it comes to such matters.'  
  
The beeping of a console hidden in the Commander's desk alerted him to an incoming report. He picked up the piece of paper and quickly read it.  
  
"What is it?" the Commander asked.  
  
"A report from the infirmary. The Third Child has awoken and is currently being diagnosed for any mental instabilities in his system."  
  
"Mental instabilities?" Gendo smirked. "Just how many more do they expect to find?"  
  
"They are referring to the aftermath of the recent battle."  
  
"Rely on those so-called scientists to be so unreliable."  
  
Fuyutsuki said nothing in reply. The Commander spoke again.  
  
"In any case, events are proceeding according to plan. Those old fools are suspecting us but that's to be expected. Tell me Sensei, what do you think of our current scenario?"  
  
Fuyutsuki struggled to find the right words. "It is . . . necessary."  
  
"That it is."  
  
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Akagi Ritsuko, head scientist and programmer of NERV, came into the infirmary only to find the Third Child already in the arms of a certain major, a position that to most males would have been highly desirable. To the said Child however, such a position was highly embarrassing, inappropriate, and at times, very dangerous.  
  
"I am so glad you're alright Shinji. I'd cook for a week just to show you how glad I am."  
  
"Really Misato-san, that's quite alright, but can you let go of me now?"  
  
"Plus, I'm sure that any dietary changes you make would just send him back here much sooner." was Dr. Ritsuko's supportive addition to the conversation, which earned her a glare from the major.  
  
Misato was a bit disgruntled by her supposedly best friend's criticism of her culinary skills, but since such comments were neither serious nor unusual she let it pass. Turning to the good doctor, she asked, "How long does he have to stay here?"  
  
"Only a little while longer. I'll have to give him a physical and then a mental check-up as well as a diagnostics to check any abnormalities with his piloting and then you're free to go."  
  
After which, Ritsuko then started performing said tests.  
  
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Ayanami Rei was currently exiting NERV Headquarters with the purpose of heading towards her own apartment via the elevator. Since much of the facility had been destroyed due to Zeruel's attack, her own presence was currently not required. Unfortunately, she was not the only one in such a state.  
  
She glanced at the elevator's only other occupant, Soryu Asuka Langley, Pilot of Unit 02 and designated Second Child, as she would like to refer to herself. Looking at the Second Child, Rei suddenly felt a strange sense of déjà vu but considered it to be irrelevant. Just as she was about to turn away, the redhead spoke.  
  
"Don't even think about it."  
  
"About what?" the blue haired albino replied.  
  
"You're thinking about lecturing me, aren't you? First the Invincible Baka beats the damn Angel by himself, now you think you're better than me."  
  
Rei chose not to reply which only got the German frustrated.  
  
" Well?"  
  
Just in time, the elevator doors opened and Rei stepped out into the hallway, instantly turning towards the exit. She could feel the glare from the other girl but chose not to engage in a meaningless confrontation. 'I wonder if her attitude is a contributing factor to Ikari-kun's personality?'  
  
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Aoba Shigeru sat at his terminal, humming a tune from a 20th Century rock band. Beside him, Hyuga Makoto was organizing files and reports from the last battle. He heard the hum of an electric door opening and turned to see the third member of their team, Ibuki Maya entering the room with a tray of coffee. Taking one of the cups, she offered the rest to them. They wordlessly accepted, their minds still on the work before them or rather, the lack of work before them.  
  
Maya was the first to break the silence.  
  
"So . . . what now?"  
  
Makoto replied without turning from his terminal. "Now we do as we always did. We follow orders, submit reports, organize files, prepare for the next invasion, and hope we can live to the end of this mess."  
  
Shigeru added, "Besides, aren't you the one who knows the most among the three of us? Do you know anything else we don't know about what happened?"  
  
Maya shook her head.  
  
"No, Akagi-sempai wouldn't tell me anything when I asked her. All she said was I shouldn't worry about it."  
  
Shigeru grunted. "Somehow, that doesn't keep me from worrying. I have a feeling we'll be having more trouble soon enough."  
  
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At the terminal of another computer, Kaji Ryouji, rouge agent of SEELE, and former member of NERV sat trying to dig his way deeper into the secrets of the great organization. One could only hope that he did not dig himself a grave in the process.  
  
"Hmmm. . . Wonderful firewall Ritsuko. It'll take me a few hours yet to get past this. But once I know the truth, it'll be worth it."  
  
He looked outside the windows of his apartment, where the red sun was just beginning to set. Shadows seemed to move as the light drew farther and farther away. Turning back to the screen, he wrote in a new series of codes that would hopefully spell success and continued to do so into the night.  
  
Outside, the shadows didn't stop moving.  
  
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A circle of monoliths appeared in a dark room, the only visible source of light from their bases. The meeting of the twelve members of SEELE began as it had for the past several decades. But this time, the members were in doubt as to the feasibility of their scenario. Five opened the discussion with a heated statement.  
  
"Ikari has deviated from the scenario too many times. We must bring back our control of this project."  
  
"I agree." said Three. "We cannot depend on a man who has so many times flaunted his lack of loyalty towards us. This scenario is much too important."  
  
"We all know that." Eight interjected. "The issue is whether we can afford to lose a man like Ikari. If he is disloyal, he is also quite competent. We would be hard pressed to find a man like him."  
  
Finally, the leader of the secret sect, Lorenz Keel spoke.  
  
"Ikari is the least of our worries. We have another matter that needs to be addressed before we can continue with the scenario."  
  
"Another matter?" The question was from Ten. "What could be so important that we would ignore Ikari in order to address it?"  
  
Four spoke. "Recently, our devices placed in space and around the globe have detected large quantities of energy signatures. Each is different from the other and number more than a hundred. However, they are all reminiscent of the pattern detected from the Angels."  
  
Uproar followed the words.  
  
"How could this be?"  
  
"Did the scrolls say anything about this?"  
  
"Where did the resorts come from?"  
  
"Of all the things to happen!"  
  
"Over a hundred Angels! Are you sure about this?"  
  
"Silence!" Keel raised his voice to be heard. The din immediately dissipated. "This is a matter that is of utmost importance. None of the scrolls predicted this and as a result, we are in the position of having to face a possible hindrance towards the scenario without any measures against it. Now does anyone have a suggestion as to how we proceed?"  
  
"I do." Seven answered.  
  
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Night had fallen across Tokyo 3 and in the Katsuragi household, all was silent. In the room of the Third Child, a soft music could be heard, a classic symphony, one of Beethoven's most treasured creations.  
  
There was only one member in the symphony's audience. Right now, this member was stretched out on futon thinking.  
  
"I'm glad Rei is okay as well as Misato, but Asuka seems to be in a bad mood. Probably because they say I was the one who destroyed the Angel. Still, I'd rather have her angry at me than dead."  
  
"From her past behavior, those two seem to be the only possible aspects of her treatment towards you."  
  
Shinji's eyes opened.  
  
"Is your mission finished?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
"If I am unwell, I would not be attempting to converse with you."  
  
"Yes, you would."  
  
"Maybe."  
  
Shinji frowned. He decided to speak his mind.  
  
"Did something happen?"  
  
"Not to us. However, there seems to be some new patterns emerging, many like ours. Have you sensed them?"  
  
He concentrated.  
  
"I do now. Strange, I did not notice them before."  
  
"I do not know what they are or what my superiors would have me do with them."  
  
"Do you need help?"  
  
"Not at the moment. But I suspect that I may soon. If they are what I think they are. . ."  
  
"Then we'll be seeing each other sooner than expected." Shinji finished. He looked at his clock and found it to be midnight. "I'll talk to you tomorrow morning."  
  
"It is afternoon where I am."  
  
He chuckled softly. "Considering your missions, I would not be surprised if it was morning."  
  
"Good night, Shinji."  
  
"Good night."  
  
End Chapter 


	2. Chapter 02: Eve of the Apocalypse

This is the story of the unknown being that is the Third Child. Based on the original works by Hideaki Anno and Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, this tale will change the many of the events that transpired both in the anime and the manga. Taking place just after the 14th Angel, Zeruel, it explores the possibility of what might have happened had the Third Child possessed secrets of his own, secrets that may have surpassed even those of his father. With the introduction of characters from other series as well as novel characters from the author's imagination, the course of the story, as well as its past will be changed. Taken from the fantasies of the mind, I give this tale to you not for your pleasure, but for your thoughts.  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: The author of the story does not claim ownership either to the characters or to the story itself. Should anyone wish to make a parody, side-story, or any other change to the original writings, they may do so on the condition that they claim the entirety for their own.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Ikari Shinji awoke at half past five in the morning to the bright light streaming through a crack in his door. He took a few seconds to get his bearings before he began the daily morning routine in the Katsuragi household. Stepping outside the sanctuary of his room, he headed towards the kitchen with the purpose of breakfast in mind. While donning an apron, he considered whether he should make European or American style breakfast like Asuka wanted or just a simple Japanese breakfast. After thinking about it, he decided to try an American breakfast with pancakes and some tea or coffee. After all, he didn't mind it all that much and Misato's breakfast would probably consist of her daily dosage of alcohol.  
  
A bare half-hour later, his barely clad guardian opened the door to her room and came out, eyes still closed with sleep, and yawning. He greeted her to whom she replied with a muttered "Good night" and a small curse directed at hangovers and paperwork. Trying not to sweat drop, Shinji made way for his very distracted guardian.   
  
She made her way to a refrigerator and opened it, revealing a just stirring Pen-pen. Mumbling a quick "Sorry", she closed the refrigerator door and opened the other refrigerator, taking out a six-pack case of Yebisu beer. Drinking an entire can in one gulp, she then proceeded to let loose with a loud "Yeeeeeaaaaaaaaaah!" that probably packed enough decibels to destroy the eardrums of the Section 2 agents listening. This signaled the real start of the day.  
  
A loud "Schiesse" was heard followed by the heavy slamming of a door as a certain redhead, dressed in a way to almost rival Misato's own wardrobe, came stomping out of her room. Shinji, not wanting confrontations so early in the morning, decided to greet her with a soft "Good Morning, Asuka".  
  
"Guten Morgen", she replied through gritted teeth. Asuka took a glance at the major who by this time was halfway through her second case of beer. Making up her mind on the sanity of her guardian, Asuka proceeded to do her God-given duty to remind everyone that she was the best by insulting everyone else. "Mein Gott Misato, do you really want to get liver cancer by the time you're thirty. Just what kind of a guardian do you think you are if you keep doing that while your charges are in the same room?"  
  
"Now Asuka," the said guardian chided, "I'm not really doing anything you haven't been exposed to yet. As a genius, you should already know about the beers and bees in this world. Besides, don't you know alcohol is an even better stimulant than coffee?"  
  
"That's birds and the bees, and don't you dare give me a lecture on what I'm supposed to know or not. The point is, you are not supposed to be drinking, you're supposed to be doing you're job."  
  
"C'mon Asuka, you're sounding more and more like Ritsuko these days. You geniuses are all the same."  
  
"Arrrghh! That is not the point. Hey baka! Get over here and help me convince her not to do this."  
  
Shinji looked over his soldier, having just finished setting the table.  
  
"Maybe we should just leave her alone for now, Asuka. If we stay any longer, we're going to be late before we finish breakfast."  
  
Asuka looked at the clock and saw that it was already past six. Cursing loudly about irresponsible guardians and spineless wimps, she started past Shinji towards the shower. Shinji stared towards her for a moment before giving a resigned sigh and starting his own breakfast. 'I'll just start eating before she finishes. Maybe she'll be in a better mood after a hot bath.'  
  
Unfortunately, some of the power lines had been disconnected during the last battle, including the one supplying the apartment with hot water. The entire apartment shook with the blast from a very loud "Verdamnt!"  
  
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Inside a dark office, a boy with red eyes and pale gray hair stood, awaiting his orders. The only furniture in the room was a desk with a speaker. The boy stood humming to himself while he pondered on why he had been summoned.  
  
Suddenly, the speaker crackled to life, followed by a few moments of static before it faded into a soft hum. A voice that could have been described as both rich and deep had it not been so cold sounded from the speaker.  
  
"Nagisa Kaoru, 17th Angel and designated Fifth Child, your mission has been moved up. As of today, you will be sent to Tokyo 3 via VTOL where you will operate as a reserve pilot and an agent. You will make friends with the Third Child and then destroy him as well as the entirety of the NERV command staff. You will do so in a way that will not be detected by the rest of NERV. If anyone tries to stop you, do what is necessary.  
  
The boy's eyes widened slightly in surprise from the information. "And if I may ask, why was my mission changed?"  
  
The speaker sounded again almost immediately.  
  
"The change in scenarios has been due to the arrival of more from your kind. As of yet, they are not a threat but we need to secure our position before it becomes any more delicate. Hence, the decision to eliminate all risks."  
  
"Then should I be eliminated as well?"  
  
There was a silence before the speaker sounded again.  
  
"Whether you will be eliminated or not depends on the outcome of your mission. Dismissed."  
  
Kaoru walked out of the room, puzzlement evident in his eyes. It was the first time something so totally unexpected had happened in a while.  
  
"This might get interesting indeed."  
  
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Kaji Ryouji staggered out of his apartment. Inside, two men, their armbands bearing the insignia of SEELE, lay dead from multiple gunshot wounds. Kaji didn't waste anymore time before he ran out, limping slightly from where a bullet had nicked his left leg.  
  
He managed to get to an alleyway, just as he heard the distinctive sound of a gun being cocked. Instantly, he dove behind the wall as bullets sprayed above his head and knocked a few bricks loose. Pulling out his own weapon, a small automatic, he aimed back at the source of the shots and fired. This time, four bursts of fire answered him and the wall he was hiding against was almost punctured from dozens of bullets.  
  
He knew that staying there was suicide, so he looked for another escape route. He recalled a NERV shelter built near his apartment. If he could make it there, it could function as a bunker until he hacked his way past the locked panel used by NERV maintenance crews.  
  
Gathering his strength for a burst of speed, he sprinted towards the shelter, bullets ricocheting off the pavement near him. He fired left and right in an attempt to slow down pursuers on his flank. Up ahead by fifty meters or so, he could see the outline of the shelter next to a condo.  
  
A high-powered bullet flashed by, missing him by inches and he hesitated a bit. 'Snipers,' he thought. He took a quick detour that led around the next building, hopefully making the snipers lose sight of him. It worked. He flew around the next corner and came back to the street on the other side of the shelter. A hundred meters in front of him, nine men wearing armbands came running, pistols spouting fire. He sprayed them with a hail of lead from his own gun, using up the last of his ammunition. Then he was there.  
  
Slamming the shelter door closed behind him, he got to work on the coded panel. Outside, he could hear the men trying to knock in the door or find another way in. Suddenly, the noise stopped. Suspicious of what might happen, Kaji crept towards the door only to hear something like "5. . .4. . .3 . . .2 . . ."  
  
His eyes widened and he threw himself backwards just as the door exploded. Debris crashed into him knocking him further back. Five men came into the room, guns at the ready and trained towards him. Clenching his jaw, and blood pouring from a gash on his forehead, Kaji prepared himself for a very painful and hopefully quick execution.  
  
The sound of gunfire echoed in the empty shelter.  
  
And Kaji Ryouji found himself still alive, staring at the twitching bodies of the five men who had tried to kill him.  
  
He heard a noise and looked up. Half a dozen figures in the uniform of Section 2 agents came through the blasted hole where the door used to be. In their hands were automatic rifles.  
  
The lead agent stepped forward, his dark glasses hiding any expression on his face, and spoke.  
  
"Kaji Ryouji, under orders from Commander Ikari, you are to come with us."  
  
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Aida Kensuke yawned. Once again, the Sensei of Class 2-A was droning on and on about his life and Second Impact. Even Kensuke's online collection of illegal military information and erotic pictures did little to keep him awake. Taking a look around the class, he watched as his friends did what they did to stave off the boredom.  
  
'Let's see, there's Ayanami staring out the window as usual. I'm beginning to wonder if whatever's happening out there is more interesting than this class. Wait a minute, of course it is! I must be really getting bored if I'm thinking this slow.'  
  
'And as usual, Touji's sleeping through this class. I guess those artificial limbs of his aren't bothering him as much as I thought they would since he's this relaxed. What was it that he said again? Oh yeah, something about his little sister Mari giving him a lecture if she managed to get out of the hospital before he did. For someone who's a supposed jock, that little kid sure can boss him around. Though he might be able to get better grades if he actually tried to learn.'  
  
'The Red Devil is still on the prowl. I'll have to stay on high alert to make sure she doesn't get past my defenses. For someone who's supposed to be a genius, she does like to pick pointless fights. Maybe that theory about the level of morals in a civilization being related to intelligence isn't true after all. Then again, Touji isn't helping, what with all the insults he gives her. Hey, maybe we can persuade Mari to defend us from the devil. Now that would be an even better fight than the ones with the Evas.'  
  
'What's this? Even the Class Rep and Kirishima are looking bored at the moment. I guess even they aren't impervious to the power of Sensei's monotone. Though Kirishima's still interested enough to keep glancing at Shinji every now and then.'  
  
'Speaking of Shinji, he actually looks interested in the lecture. No, that can't be it; he's probably just staring at Ayanami again. No, he's staring straight ahead. And was that a smile I saw just now? Weird. He looks like he's concentrating on something. Now what could be so serious and yet so amusing that it would make the Shin-man smile? Maybe I'll just send him a message.'  
  
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The beeping of his computer, indicating a new message, disrupted Shinji's internal conversation. Taking note of the sender, he read the somewhat short inquisition from Kensuke. "What's up?"  
  
"Nothing, why?" Shinji replied.  
  
"You look like you zoned out for the lesson. Are you starting to turn into Ayanami? Or perhaps, trying to become a King for the Ice Queen."  
  
Shinji blushed before replying.  
  
"Nothing like that. I was just thinking about a few things."  
  
"Such as her assets, maybe? Or have you and the Red Devil been up to a few things last night? Maybe you got lucky and scored with Misato?"  
  
By this time, Shinji was rivaling Asuka's hair color. Fortunately he was saved from having to answer by a rather loud "OUCH!" Looking behind him, he saw Kensuke being held by the ear by a very disgruntled Horaki Hikari.  
  
"No lewd messages in class!"  
  
"Please Class Rep! After all, Touji and I did help you install that new monitoring program."  
  
"Which is precisely how I knew about your messages. Since you installed them, I would have expected you enforce the program, not ignore it!"  
  
All the other students were just ignoring the outburst. Sighing in resignation, Shinji turned away from Hikari's lecture towards his computer. After a few moments, his mental conversation was resumed.  
  
"I dislike it when we are interrupted."  
  
"Sorry, that was just Kensuke."  
  
"The one you described as a military fanatic?"  
  
"That's the one. Anyway, back to the topic. What were you trying to tell me?"  
  
"The phenomenon is still occurring. Across the globe, signals from sources quite similar to Angels are being detected and then lost. It's like they're making a mass migration to this world but are trying to hide it. What do you think?"  
  
"That would be the most likely explanation. I have a sync test later today. I'll ask Oka-san then to see if it's anything she knows about."  
  
"Very well. By the way, were Mr. Aida's words about Ms. Ayanami accurate?"  
  
Shinji couldn't suppress a small smile.  
  
"You know very well that Rei is my sister."  
  
"Among our kind, that would not really matter."  
  
"Jealous?" Maybe that time listening to Misato's teasing was worth something after all.  
  
". . ."  
  
"Don't worry."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"As incredible as hearing someone else apologizing to me would be, I don't want that someone to be you."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"It's alright."  
  
Just then the lunch bell rang.  
  
"Let's talk after I ask my mom." were Shinji's parting words.  
  
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Kaji followed his captors down one of the many passageways deep in the bowels of NERV HQ. Since he had snuck around here a few times, he knew that they were heading towards Gendo's office. He was proven correct mere moments later when the narrow door to the great commander's office opened. A blast of recycled air hit him full blast in the face, almost making him shiver with cold. 'Cold as ice. Just like the Commander', he thought wryly.  
  
His captors ushered him inside the room, then turned around and went out, locking the door and leaving him in near total darkness. A second later, glow panels began to shed an eerie light into the room and Ryouji Kaji found himself face to face with the Grand Bastard King himself.  
  
"Welcome Agent Kaji. I trust you had a nice trip."  
  
Kaji didn't bat an eyelid. "Was that supposed to make me laugh?"  
  
"No," Gendo grimaced ever so slightly. "I was watching a few pre-Second Impact spy movies and wanted to try its effectiveness."  
  
"Another tool at your disposal. As if the ones you already have are not enough."  
  
"A man must be prepared if he wants to achieve his goal, Agent Kaji. That is why I have hoarded every weapon in my arsenal, whether it is technology, information or manpower. And after this meeting I have hope that yet another tool will be added."  
  
Kaji raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think that I would work for you?"  
  
"Because if you don't, someone else, let's say certain major, might suffer the consequences."  
  
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Gendo knew he had pushed the right buttons when Kaji grimaced. The spy was actually starting to lose his composure. Gendo liked it when he could control his enemy's reactions. Though this particular enemy would become an ally soon, it would still help to have some degree of control.  
  
Then the spy spoke.  
  
"Very persuasive, aren't you Ikari? You know that I would go to almost any length to protect her. One would wonder how is it that you have such an in depth understanding of the effect emotions for others can have on a man. One might think that you do so from experience."  
  
This time, it was Gendo whose face cracked. Anger flashed briefly over his features, turning into rage before simmering down into a slow boil.  
  
"You are a worthy opponent Agent Kaji. I would praise you on your ability to actually elicit such a response from me." Gendo's voice was barely controlled. "However, I would recommend that you do not pry any further into such matters. I am, after all, offering you a chance to live."  
  
"What makes you think that I would want to live under your rule?"  
  
"Because you will learn the truth, Agent Kaji. The whole truth, each and every fact concerning Project E known to me. Your beloved major will also be protected. I cannot promise complete safety, but by placing yourself under my command, you will at least eliminate one threat towards her life and others."  
  
"What value would be their safety if you would destroy them later?"  
  
"I do not intend to destroy the world Agent Kaji, no matter what you have heard. I have a specific goal in mind and it is neither power nor wealth. If I must destroy the world to attain that goal, so be it, but if there is another way, then I will consider it. At least this way, you have a say in the outcome, whereas by refusing my offer you would deny yourself the chance to live or let others live."  
  
Kaji thought the matter over hard. The minutes ticked by in silence as one man contemplated his fate while the other prepared to deliver it. At long last, the spy spoke in a resigned voice.  
  
"Alright Ikari, this time I'll sell my soul to the devil if it would pave the way for others in paradise. But before I sign on the dotted line, tell me. Why would you need me?"  
  
Gendo was silent for a moment before answering.  
  
"Because your skills can be a major factor in achieving my goal, not to mention your acquired knowledge about our mutual enemy. I would take any chance to make sure that goal is reached."  
  
"So, had my death or the death of the world been instrumental in reaching your goal, you would have done it."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"You are obsessed."  
  
"Possibly. But you are the one to sign."  
  
Kaji glared for a brief moment, then relaxed.  
  
"What's my mission?"  
  
"You will continue to apply your skills, only this time, whatever information you acquire, you share with me. Your files will be erased and your death will be reported. No one outside of certain people in NERV will know of your continued existence. Understood?"  
  
"Sir, yes sir!" Kaji replied, his voice heavy with sarcasm.  
  
"Dismissed."  
  
As the spy turned to walk out the door, Gendo relaxed behind his desk, one thought filling his mind.  
  
'Soon Yui. Very soon."  
  
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At a small cafeteria table, four girls sat eating what would have been a mid-afternoon snack had they been in any actual time zone. The shortest of the quartet, a girl with waist-length dark blue hair tied in a ribbon behind her, ate quietly while her three companions bickered over the food. Or rather, two were bickering and the other one was about to throw her hands up in despair.  
  
The blue-haired girl watched as her friends continued to fight about the toxicity of cafeteria food in space, which had rapidly degenerated into insults between her best friend, a green-eyed girl with straight brown hair reaching to her waist, and another good friend, a dark blonde girl with an unusually reflective forehead. That is, until her best friend decided to include her in the debate with a question.  
  
"I am not saying this to tick you off, Madoka, all I'm saying is that I can cook a better lunch than this cafeteria and especially you. Right, Ayano-chan?"  
  
Hakuhoin Ayano Elizabeth, the girl in question tried to answer in a way that would not make the potentially dangerous situation any worse.  
  
"Um. . ., I really don't know if your cooking would be better than Madoka-san's, Yoko-san. Though your cooking is very good, I haven't tasted hers yet."  
  
The girl known as Yamamoto Yoko seemed to think over this reply but the other side of the debate, Midou Madoka, stared at the soft-spoken girl. "Wait a minute, didn't you taste my cooking when we made that spread for Lawson?"  
  
"Not really. Since it was for him, I didn't want to eat his share."  
  
"Girls, I don't think that fighting over whose cooking is better is going to make any difference", said Kagariya Momiji, the resident tomboy, and a girl tall enough to rival most basketball players.  
  
"Tell that to the forehead monster here." Yoko replied, which of course got the target of the retort very irritated.  
  
"Why you cat-eyed show-off, I'll . . ."  
  
Ayano tuned out the rest of the conversation and turned towards the window. Outside, stars seemed to drift by as the large space station/spaceport/laboratory rotated. The space station and its small fleet of experimental starships had been built as a possible launching pad for Earth's developing defense fleet. Codenamed Project T or Terra, the spaceport had two main sorties of spaceship each made up of four units, the Terra force and the Ness force. It also boasted of several units of smaller fighting craft. The crew was mostly made up of scientists working on related projects.  
  
Initially, the project had been a secret base built to detect and combat the invaders known as the Angels. Back then, many had thought the Angels came from some source in outer space. The project had barely been finished when the tenth Angel came. Unfinished, untested and still in development for minor errors, the starships had been unable to intercept the Angel. Fortunately, the engineers had managed to steer the lumbering spaceport out of the way of the equally lumbering Angel.  
  
Since then, however, no more Angels had attacked in orbit. Somehow they had all bypassed the spaceports defense and detection system, making their way to ground level without anyone knowing until they were already there. It was as if they had appeared out of nowhere.  
  
Because of this, the pilots of the starships had been put on indefinite standby. It was an almost boring routine for the Terra force each day, punctuated twice a week by mock fights with Ness and the self named Redsnappers. Though each team fought seriously, improving the skills of the pilots, it was still a bit of a let down when you knew that your opponent was just your friend and wasn't actually trying to kill you. Not that Ayano, wanted to fight. It was that the routine could become boring even for someone with her amount of patience. Inwardly, she wondered whether even Admiral Leon was having any second thoughts on the matter.  
  
Perhaps it was a blessing that they did not have any attacks. Due to her brief entanglement with the other side as well as her past experiences, Ayano was one of the few people who knew the secrets behind the starships' flawless design. She knew and felt the technology and the biological components integrated into the ships. It shouldn't have been a surprise when she found out that the ships had been developed with the same internal system of the Evangelion units fighting below. Nor should it have been a surprise when she found out just how young most of the pilots were.  
  
'No, to most people, it should have been a surprise but not for me' she thought, glancing at Yoko. 'Not for us. After all we're much more a part of this than even Lawson knows, though he designed the ships. Knowing what we are, it should not have surprised me when I found out. But it did. And it scared me. Maybe because I wished that I would never find anything like that ever again. Yoko-san was surprised too but she still has her confidence.'  
  
She looked at Momiji who had given up trying to stop the fight, and at Madoka who was still ranting. 'Maybe Yoko-san and I should have told them what we are. After all, they are our friends and I know we can trust them. Yoko-san thinks so too. But to know what we know would just put them in more danger. They would try to defend us and get hurt in the process.'  
  
She sighed. 'No, we can't tell them. I wish the others were here as well so that there would be at least more of us. Then it wouldn't be so lonely with just Yoko-san and me. But each of them has their parts to do as well.'  
  
Suddenly, she sensed something and snapped her head back.  
  
Eyes widened, she looked at her best friend whose surprised gaze answered her unasked question. 'It can't be.'  
  
They both stood up just as the alarms began to blare.  
  
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Inside the NERV German Branch in Berlin, Commander Schoenberg prepared himself to face his extermination. The middle aged German held a Walther in one hand and a small and aimed a mounted automatic with the other. Set atop the highest level of the bridge, he fought along with his Second in Command and the techs that had been assigned at just below that level. Shooting at targets left and right, he grimly vowed to make sure that his death would come at a high price for the enemy. The same enemy that was at the moment swarming and slaughtering what was left of his troops.  
  
The attack had begun just a bare forty-five minutes earlier. He had been sitting in his office scrutinizing the latest development reports of the Angel and Evangelion research crew when his Second in Command burst through the door and announced that they were under attack bare moments before the alarms started to go off. He had quickly made his way to the bridge and there learned the horrifying truth of what was happening.  
  
Dozens of mysterious attackers had somehow managed to enter the facility through just as many entry points undetected and had begun slaughtering his soldiers before they could even be identified. By the time he took over command of the bridge, a full quarter of his troops lay dead. The enemy had taken almost half of the facility and the breach reached as far as the Fifth level, just two levels from the Primary Command Bridge.  
  
The attackers were as effective as they were mysterious. They were clothed entirely in black, cowls covering their faces. They moved with a blinding speed taking out entire battalions before a single soldier could even point his weapon. Strangely, the attackers carried no ranged weapons, only dual orange blades that protruded from the arms. Schoenberg had witnessed them slashing men completely in half with just a single strike.   
  
The massacre had continued until he had authorized the use of Bakelite and grenades, rockets, and other explosives. It didn't stop them but it slowed them down. The first attackers seemed to be taken by surprise by the sudden upgrade in force and were completely blown apart. There were no bodies, however. He had seen for himself the disintegration the marauders seemed to go through when they died.  
  
The barrage of explosives didn't slow them down for long. They somehow bypassed the Bakelite, as if it was a medium instead as a barrier. Orange shields flared to life, deflecting blasts and bullets as if they were mere pebbles and slight breezes. But the massive hail of projectiles wasn't completely useless. Now and then, a concentration would break through a shield and a body would be seen falling, disintegrating into particles as it hit the ground. But more attackers always replaced the fallen.  
  
Now pandemonium reigned over the facility. Whenever they had managed to penetrate the defense, the attackers would quickly slaughter those who were left. They moved in bursts of speed and once in close range, the soldiers were no match against them. Troops fell like tender shoots before the pelting hail of blades.  
  
Schoenberg uttered a curse as his remaining troops were completely decimated. The attackers were leaping and running like shadows up the stairs and over the barricades, making jumps ten feet high and doing so at a speed that could not possibly be human. He aimed the machinegun at a passageway, swiveling it from side to side, shifting the aim constantly so as to hit as many points as possible. It worked to an extent. He saw two more disintegrate, the orange shields unable to protect them from all sides.  
  
Then his Second in Command fell, sliced through the back by an invisible blade. He saw the techs die, almost at the same time, their guns in splinters. Realizing he was the only one left, he turned and jumped backwards off the bridge, firing the Walther at a veiled face. He saw a pair of red eyes flash out from under the cowl before they vanished, the particles swirling around where the body had been. Schoenberg grinned, satisfied that he had been able to take that one out. He was content that he had managed to do all he could.  
  
Then the rest of the attackers leapt towards him from above, the sides, intercepting him from below. His body was slashed to pieces before it reached the ground.  
  
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"Prepare for immersion."  
  
Dr. Akagi's voice sounded inside the entry plug of the Third Child as the LCL began pouring in. Moments later, he could feel his connection with Unit 01 deepening, broadening as the giant mecha's senses intertwined with his own. And with it, the connection to his mother.  
  
"Hello Shinji."  
  
Shinji turned down the volume of his voice transmitter before replying. Though he didn't need to speak to communicate with his mother, he couldn't take the chance of speaking his thoughts out loud. He decided to get right to the point.  
  
"Hello mother."  
  
"Are you all right?"  
  
"I swear everybody's asking me that today."  
  
"Why wouldn't they? With everything that's happening, I think they would be concerned."  
  
Shinji took a deep breath of LCL.  
  
"You know about it?"  
  
"I feel it. The Evangelion's ability to generate and detect other AT fields helps me. And my own gift, though not as developed as yours, helps me as well. But I don't know where it is from or what caused it."  
  
"Then you don't know anything about it?" Shinji didn't know whether to feel disappointed or relieved.  
  
"Sorry, no. Your father might know something though."  
  
Shinji looked towards the bridge where his father was observing the test.  
  
"Why. . ."  
  
"Because he would go crazy if he really knew about my condition, Shinji. He might grow even more desperate. That wouldn't really help anybody would it?" Yui answered her son's question before he finished it.  
  
"I know. I'm sorry but I sometimes feel that if we all didn't have a need to keep secrets, then we wouldn't be where we are at the moment."  
  
"It's alright to feel that way. But you must be strong for a little while longer."  
  
"Thank you, Mother."  
  
"All right, dear. But you better get your concentration back to the test or Naoko's daughter might get suspicious."  
  
As if on cue, Ritsuko turned towards his monitor and asked. "Are you all right, Shinji? Your sync rate is fluctuating."  
  
Shinji suppressed the urge to groan and answered instead.  
  
"I'm sorry. I was just thinking of something. I'm fine now. Really! Sorry."  
  
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Atop a high building, two figures lay, their bodies intertwined, one over the other. One was tall with a lean but hardy built, while the other was almost diminutive, just over half her partner's height. She was asleep, her head on his chest, while he continued to look into a visor.  
  
Suddenly, she stirred. "What's wrong," she asked, sitting up on his lap, her deep maroon irises staring into his own maroon eyes.  
  
'Do we all have the same eye color?' he silently mused. Out loud, he replied. "I've been monitoring their communications. Two of their bases were attacked. One was the outer space facility where two of the others are."  
  
"What do we do about it?"  
  
"Nothing. Not until the others decide to do something."  
  
"Then rest. It's meaningless for you to keep watch if there is nothing you can do. Just set yourself so that you're alerted when a message comes from them."  
  
"I feel better knowing what happens to them."  
  
Settling down into his chest again, she replied. "Suit yourself. Tell me when they call."  
  
They continued to listen as the battle began and ended.  
  
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In a covered area, just outside visual range of the former NERV branch of Germany, two other figures stood, hidden by the shadows. One was obviously a female, her black garb trailing behind her and opening towards the front as if to create maximum maneuverability while still retaining some sense of style. The other, a male, was dressed in a cloak of the same color, it's folds arranged in such a way that he might have been mistaken for a man of the Church. Though strange, they could be considered as nothing out of the ordinary in a country such as Belgium if it weren't for their eyes, eyes that glowed a brilliant crimson.  
  
"We're too late." He murmured quietly.  
  
The girl turned her head towards him.  
  
"We best report this to our superiors."  
  
The girl nodded and began to set up their communication equipment. Her companion stopped her with a hand and she looked up at him.  
  
"And tell him as well. He needs to know about this." He intoned in a barely audible voice. She nodded again.  
  
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End of Chapter 2  
  
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Author's Notes  
  
First and foremost I would like to thank Eternally Lost Zeppo, funvince, Amber Caitlain, dennisud 2015, Gopu, and seeker for being the first ones to review my story. I hope that you enjoy the rest.  
  
Second, as of this chapter, most of the main characters have been presented, if not properly introduced. A few others will be uncovered in the next chapter. Their complete identities shall not be revealed for a few chapters yet. After all, "Unknown Secrets" is a story about secrets.  
  
Third, I would like to thank the creators of "Starship Girls: Yamamoto Yoko". Actually, the title character's resemblance to a certain green-eyed, brown-haired scientist was one of the inspirations for the story.  
  
Last but not least, I would like to thank Ms. Ayanami, Rakna, Random1377, and The Seldon Planner for their works of fanfiction. They made up the rest of my inspirations.  
  
Edit: This chapter has been rewritten to delete a few errors. Thanks to de Wardes for pointing out them out. 


	3. Chapter 03: The Fourth Configuration

Approaching the chaotic edge, elements show internal conflict. An unstable and potentially lethal region.  
  
Michael Chrichton--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Chapter 03  
  
"Shinji!"  
  
The voice sounded so suddenly its recipient almost stumbled over his own feet.  
  
"What!" he blurted out.  
  
At his right, Asuka eyed him with a raised brow and asked. "What's your problem, Third Child?"  
  
Mentally, Shinji cursed himself for losing control. Then again, it wasn't everyday that a mental voice sent the equivalent of a shout through his head,  
  
"Nothing Asuka. I just thought of something."  
  
Asuka scowled. "Well, stop talking out loud. You're already a pathetic pervert, now you're a basket case as well."  
  
"I don't think a single utterance of such a word would classify Pilot Ikari as a mental case, Pilot Soryu." Rei stated as she walked on Shinji's left, her eyes straight ahead.  
  
Asuka's scowl deepened. "Whatever, Wondergirl."  
  
Shinji frowned but decided that it wasn't the time to fight Asuka. He had to finish the message. 'After all, she wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't important' he thought.  
  
It was late afternoon and the three of them were walking towards Misato's apartment after a strangely brief sync test. Something had apparently come up and the test was cut short. Since Rei's apartment was somewhat in the area, Shinji had thought to accompany her, despite the Second Child's rude comments.  
  
Now however, it was taking all of his concentration to keep walking and acting nonchalant while keeping up his concentration.  
  
"What is it? You almost got me caught here!"  
  
"The NERV Branch in Germany has been attacked. There are no survivors. The spaceport where Yoko-san and Ayano-san are has been attacked as well. Oni-san has yet to establish contact with them."  
  
"Attacked? By the same things we sensed earlier?"  
  
"Probably."  
  
"Hey baka, where are you going?" he heard Asuka say and discovered he was about to cross a street that was full of traffic.  
  
"Sorry."  
  
"Sorry." That one was from the source of the voice.  
  
"No, it was my fault. Listen. Try to contact them as soon as possible. If that doesn't work, contact the others. Tell me when you reach them."  
  
"Does your mother know anything?"  
  
"Not anything we don't already know. She suggested I ask my father but you know how impossible that is. Just keep trying to contact them. They aren't dead, because we would have felt something if they were, but they might be in trouble."  
  
"Understood."  
  
Shinji sighed. He would have to sort things out tonight. Things were getting hectic and he might have to reveal the truth. He wondered how his father would take it if he knew the extent of Shinji's own discretions, or rather omissions. Then again, should he be told? It had been hard enough just to change the files in the Magi without being found out, even with Zima's help. Sometimes, it helps to have the equivalent of a Supercomputer on your side, especially when you were keeping something from the most powerful organization in the world.  
  
Shinji snapped out of his introspection as the trio neared Misato's apartment. He would have plenty of time to think things through later, but right now, he had to make supper for an irate German/American/Japanese redhead.  
  
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"How long has the spaceport been under attack?" Ikari Gendo asked. His question, though relevant, didn't seem to be directed at anyone in particular. Ritsuko decided to be the one to answer, since she was the only one who was both capable and willing to do so. At the moment, Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki was busy trying to sort through the attack in Germany.  
  
"Actually, they still aren't. The enemy seems to be waiting just outside the range of weapons. They've surrounded the spaceport but haven't fired a single shot."  
  
"Keep me briefed on the situation."  
  
"You don't wish to send reinforcements?"  
  
"It is not our problem."  
  
"And what of the old men?"  
  
"Tell them we don't have any weapons capable of space combat."  
  
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Inside another bridge onboard the spaceport, the girl commonly known as Yamamoto Yoko watched as the rest of the crew monitored the enemy. Long dark brown hair flowed down her back and framed her face, making her green eyes shine against the background. Her blue vest, worn over a black top, covered a slim figure but exposed her belly. Blue short pants and white athletic shoes completed her image.  
  
Behind her, her three teammates stood ready to go once the order was given. Her best friend Ayano wore a simple light beige dress with the shoes from her school uniform. Madoka, Yoko's friend, rival, and teammate, wore a more stylish pink dress, her light dark blonde hair cascading in waves, finished by heeled shoes. Sometimes Yoko wondered why Madoka bothered to pilot in those shoes. Finally Momiji, the tallest of the girls with a dark complexion leaned into the wall, dark hair held up, her long white coat not quite covering her bandaged front and ending around baggy red pants and wooden shoes.  
  
It was a strange collection of styles and in no way uniform, but where the Ness sisters prided themselves in their similar tight fitting, red leathers, the Terra force didn't really believe in uniforms as long as the outfit didn't get in the way of battle. In fact, nobody in the Terra crew wore uniforms, aside from Admiral Leon, a confident woman whose dark skin contrasted nicely with her solid blonde hair, and a few of the senior technicians.  
  
Yoko bit her lip as the enemy ships continued to wait outside. They were small ships, resembling hummingbirds in shape, probably fighting craft or light transport vessels for boarding other ships, but the simple fact that they were there was enough of a threat. Add this to the fact that they considerably outnumbered the Terra ships, and it was almost certainly a losing battle for the humans.  
  
Yes, humans. Though Yoko was aware that her best friend and she were quite different from most of the others, they still considered themselves human. But her senses were telling her that the beings inside those strange ships were not. Yet it wasn't the same way, the tenth Angel had felt. Yoko wondered if she was losing her touch. 'Not human and yet much closer to what humans feel like than the Angel. What are they?'  
  
She looked behind her. Ayano seem worried while Madoka and Momiji were tense but kept their cool. The fact that Madoka was quiet, however, was enough of an indication that she was concerned as well. Momiji was second in seniority, next to Yoko so her experience, added to her tomboyish attitude, gave her enough confidence to weather things out. At times, she reminded Yoko of Admiral Leon. Speaking of whom.  
  
Yoko turned back to the bridge, where the said Admiral still sat silent and contemplating behind her view screen, listening to Lawson and his fellow engineer Sarah as they analyzed the enemy ships. Lawson had already turned off the alarms since the ships weren't attacking. Stepping forward, Yoko directed her question at the Admiral.  
  
"What now, Admiral Leon?"  
  
Leon turned towards the piloting protégée. Though Yoko was still just fourteen years old, she was the best pilot Terra ever had. She had a logical way of thinking and always worked in cooperation with her teammates. Correction, often worked in cooperation. Yoko's cocky and devil-may-care attitude, though not demeaning towards others, still earned her a couple of irritated glances every now and then. Considering her words carefully, Leon answered.  
  
"Now we wait until reinforcements come, or until they decide to leave" she said, gesturing towards the enemy ships displayed on the screen.  
  
"What if they want to fight?"  
  
"Then we fight back while preparing the scientists and techs for evacuation. You and the others will punch a whole true their screen and we follow through. Then we head to the nearest Earth base large enough to accommodate us."  
  
"We're abandoning the station?"  
  
"We have to. We were originally supposed to attack the Angels as they were en route to Earth or as they were descending. Then when none appeared from orbit, Command sent us an order to downgrade, and this station turned from a full military fortress into a research facility with auxiliary weapons. We don't have the ammunition, or the numbers to defend ourselves against a long siege."  
  
Yoko gritted her teeth.  
  
"I'm not one to run away, Admiral."  
  
Leon turned her full gaze on the pilot.  
  
"Would you rather I let everyone here die?"  
  
Yoko's eyes sparkled and for a moment, it seemed she would refute the Admiral. Then her shoulders slumped.  
  
"Alright."  
  
Leon smiled wanly.  
  
"Tell you what, you can take out as many of them as you want when we do start to move."  
  
The exchange was interrupted when Lawson turned around and said "Everybody, I think things just got worse for us."  
  
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Kirishima Mana was walking on her way home from a local grocery, still dressed in her high school uniform. While walking through the mostly empty street, she thought to herself about her current status. Her thoughts drifted back towards a certain blue-eyed boy who sat at her side in class.  
  
'Shinji seemed to be in a good mood today. He looked cuter than usual. I wonder if things are finally looking up for him. After all, there hasn't been an Angel attack in a while.'  
  
Her lips curved in an involuntary smile as she remembered how peaceful the boy had appeared to be earlier. It was a welcome contrast to his usual demeanor.  
  
Then she thought of her mission concerning the boy and the smile on her face faltered.  
  
'What do I do now? I can't continue with my mission if it would cause Shinji pain. But stopping now would probably get both of us in trouble too. And what about the other pilots? Sometimes I wished we had never joined the program.'  
  
"Mana!"  
  
Mana recognized the voice calling out to her and stopped. Her shock showed through her face as she turned towards the alley where the voice had come from.  
  
"Musashi! My God, is that you?"  
  
In fact it was her fellow pilot, still dressed in his gear. He stayed in the alley, careful so as not to be seen and beckoned towards her. Taking a quick look around, Mana stepped into the alley.  
  
"Am I glad you're okay! Where's Keita and why. . .?"  
  
"Dead", Musashi spoke before Mana could finish her query.  
  
Her eyes now fully open at the as the full meaning of what had been said sank in, Mana leaned on the alley wall and held the bag towards her chest. "How. . ."  
  
Once again, Musashi didn't wait for her to finish. His voice carried a variety of emotions; regret, sorrow, guilt and despair. "His robot was damaged and crashed. Before I could get to him, they shot him with everything they had. Almost nothing was left except for bits and pieces." He raised his head to look directly at her. "Now, we're the only ones left. They'll brand us as traitors and hunt us down, then kill us. They have to since they can't afford the chance that we'll defect with what we know."  
  
Mana stood silent for a moment, trying to catch her breath from the sudden torrent of emotions. "What about my mission?"  
  
Musashi sighed and looked down.  
  
"I intercepted a transmission for the search party. Your orders have been repealed. Though they're not going to execute you, they think that you're too much of a risk now. I think they'd be coming for you in a day or two."  
  
"Shinji." She whispered. Then Mana looked up and stared him straight in the eye.  
  
"Is that why you came here? Why you risked being caught when you were much closer to freedom out there?"  
  
Musashi looked at a loss for a moment. When he replied, it was distant as if he was thinking of something else.  
  
"I couldn't leave knowing that I failed you both. I realize now that I couldn't do anything for him, but if I could at least warn you. . ."  
  
She straightened up and said in a controlled voice, much to Musashi's surprise.  
  
"Follow me."  
  
"Where?"  
  
"NERV." A small smile appeared on her face. "We're going to defect."  
  
"What? But they'll just force us to fight again."  
  
"It's either that or being dead. Come on!"  
  
He stood there with his mouth hanging slightly opened while she looked back at him expectantly. Then he closed his mouth and began to follow her. Turning towards the Geofront, the former pilot turned spy turned defecting informant walked towards NERV HQ.  
  
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The girl's mouth turned into a slight frown as an orange blade came whizzing just a few feet in front of her. Another blade whirled towards her feet and she jumped out of the way, landing on the branches of a nearby oak tree before leaping off again. A few dozen meters to her right, her companion was suffering similar problems, his cloak torn in a few places where blades or branches had caught the fabric. Their outfits were meant for stealth and maneuverability, not body armor.  
  
She risked a glance behind her. Another orange blade slashed at her, and she barely avoided in time but the glance told her all she needed. Behind her, seven figures in black, with cowls over heir faces, chased her. They were from the same group that had attacked the German base earlier that day.  
  
A few hours ago, her companion and she had been finishing their reports to the Committee. They had gone to a high point in the mountains to try and contact the besieged spaceport going by, a few hundred kilometers in orbit. Somehow, the attackers had gotten wind of them and came to finish them off. For the last half-hour, she and her partner had been running, dodging, and leaping to avoid the blades their opponents projected. She wished she could take to the air but doing so would make them even more vulnerable as targets.  
  
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her partner jump off a tree trunk and then kick one of his pursuers in the chest area before pulling out a dagger and slashing at his opponent's head. That one went down but the six others were quick to take note of their fallen comrade. They swerved towards her companion marking him as the greater threat and ignoring her. That was a mistake for them.  
  
Crossing out her hands, palms outwards, she created a series of bursts not unlike the ones made by the enemy. Two of them were hit in the back, disintegrating completely. Another one got a glancing blow and was thrown against a pine. The injured attacker then stood up and turned, a slight limp noticeable as the hooded figure ran.  
  
The last three stopped, then jumped outwards, landing in a triangle surrounding the girl and her companion. As the hunters crouched low, readying themselves for a concerted charge, the girl flew to her companion's side. The two of them stood back to back their weapons up.  
  
Her companion spoke.  
  
"Are you all right, Shizel?"  
  
She nodded in reply.  
  
"Wait for them to make the first move," he said. "Then we'll strike while they're following through."  
  
No sooner had the words reached her ears, than the three remaining attackers began to sprint towards them. They were all fast but they could not be totally equal in their speed.  
  
When the first one reached the girl, she immediately sidestepped, while her partner leapt in a backwards somersault. The attacker missed completely but his companions weren't far behind. One of them shifted to intercept her as she turned.   
  
For a moment their eyes met. Red met red. She saw her attacker hesitate in surprise as he realized what his target was. That moment's hesitation was all she needed. She threw a blade of her own aimed at his throat. The combined speed of the attacker's charge and her blade's own velocity made sure his death. The blade passed completely through his throat and he was already disintegrating as his head, cut off from his body, hit the ground.  
  
A few feet away, her companion intercepted the third and last attacker, twisting the blade arm and using the momentum to throw his opponent into the air. The latter crashed right into the first attacker, who was just turning around from his charge. Two cloaked bodies slammed into the forest floor. Before they could get up, her partner leapt and came down, plunging two blades into the bodies. The particles were still disintegrating around him as he stood up.  
  
The girl named Shizel paced calmly towards her companion. Her unbound hair, a light red, almost pink hue, floated in curls down her back to her shoulder blades where it divided. Strands curled underneath her ears to settle on her collar. She was still wearing the same black skirt, which now trailed behind her. It contrasted almost harmoniously with her pale skin.  
  
Her companion pulled of the muffler and cloak covering his face to reveal red eyes and hair a few shades darker than her own, tinged with a bit of brown. His own skin was a shade of light blue, an oddity even among their kind. He turned towards her and grinned.  
  
"Are you alright?"  
  
She nodded. He grinned again.  
  
"Well now that we're finished with the work out, how about we get out of here."  
  
She nodded once more and pointed the way towards their destination. He turned and began to lead the way.  
  
"Alright. Let's go little sister. I'm pretty sure our superiors would be wondering why we haven't checked in. Wouldn't it be fun to see their faces right about now?"  
  
He continued to talk while she listened as they made their way through the forest.  
  
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In the depths of the Antarctic Ocean, there lay a gigantic behemoth, hidden by ice crags on the surface and underwater cliffs underneath the waves. Round and completely dark, it was larger than the Geofront and even more massive, resembling a small moon. Half of its body was buried underneath the sediment of the seafloor, the other half reached to just a few hundred meters beneath the surface ice. Although artificial, it wasn't a creation of Lilum hands.  
  
In this sphere of darkness, called by those who dwelled in it as the Abyss, a boy, appearing to be somewhere in his late teens, walked along a narrow passageway. He was tall and had a strong built, though he wasn't bulky. He was clothed in a silver tunic that reached down to his ankles, over silver trousers. The color seemed to blend in with his pale skin. His unkempt, light gray hair reached past his neck and tapered off his back. His eyes were a brilliant red imposed an imposing and proud aura to those who looked at him. Such eyes, however, were not unusual among the people in this sphere.  
  
As he walked through doorways and narrow halls, he came upon a few guards every now and the. These were dressed in black with light armor on their chests, more of a symbol than a functional accessory. The armor was completely blank, devoid of any symbols.  
  
He continued to walk until he came to a large gate. Beyond the gate, one could here the shaking of some large creature. Vibrations could be felt through the walls and the floor. Without hesitating, he placed his right arm on the massive gate. A blue light shone around his palm and then disappeared. Removing his arm, he watched with almost disinterest as the gates opened, disappearing into the wall. Beyond, he could see a large chamber, one that took up almost a quarter of the Abyss' volume. He stepped through the gates and into the chamber.  
  
Inside, he saw the giant creature that had been making the noise. It was fastened by several straps of orange light produced by two-dozen black-garbed figures around the ray like being. The giant groaned and struggled against his bonds. It twisted right and left in an attempt to escape its captivity. When the figure stepped forward, the giant immediately swung the protrusion that served as a sensory organ towards him.  
  
Then the boy spoke.  
  
"It won't work Arael. No matter how much you struggle, you cannot escape the powers of two-dozen other Angels. And as you can see, we were prepared for your mental capabilities as well. If I was in your position, I might consider returning to my natural form."  
  
Arael seemed to stare at the boy for a moment. Then without warning, he began to transform. A bright light covered the large creature. When it dissipated, the remaining light revealed a man in his prime, one that would probably be mistaken for an athlete or a movie star. His crimson eyes, pale skin, and nearly white hair identified his kind. That is, if the wings around his body didn't identify him already. The bonds holding him shrank to accommodate his body but otherwise held. Despite his naked form, he seemed to stand proud.  
  
In a clear voice, he demanded the reason for his predicament.  
  
"Abel! Why are you here? Why have you imprisoned me?"  
  
The boy, Abel, didn't even flinch from the sudden interrogation. In fact, he seemed almost bored. His voice had neither sympathy nor anger and when he spoke, it was quite leisurely.  
  
"I am here to finish this world and create my own. My own world designed for our kind and for our kind only. That is the wish of the Creator."  
  
Arael answered in rage.  
  
"Blasphemy! The Creator told me nothing of the sort. Our objective is to find the Father and join Him to bring about His return. You were not to interfere. How dare you say that the Creator sent you when you are clearly disobeying him?"  
  
Abel looked at the enraged Angel with something akin to amusement.  
  
"Disobeying him? Why Arael, I am the one who was given the duty of judgment. Before me and me alone, the souls of the damned and the blessed await their sentence. And to mine eyes, they are all damned. Hence, I will sacrifice their unworthy flesh to the Creator that he might bless my new world."  
  
Arael's eyed glowed as he struggled to contain his rage. "And what of your Father? Do you not understand the meaning of this act? If you attempt to take this world by force, you will not only sacrifice this world, you would also sacrifice Him."  
  
Abel only looked at him in pity. "A sorrowful act, yes. Yet, one I would be willing to do if it helps our race ascend. Besides, are you not already attempting force in your methods?"  
  
"The other Messengers will not let you live with this!"  
  
"What other Messengers? They are all dead, Arael, dead to the world, killed by the very Lilim you thought to be so weak."  
  
"There are still Armisael and Tabris."  
  
"Oh really."  
  
A light appeared at the other end of the chamber. The light revealed another figure, held by the arms and legs to a cross. Arael roared with fury as he recognized the figure.  
  
"Armisael!"  
  
Abel spared a glance at the crucified Angel before turning back to Arael.  
  
"Now do you understand? Only you are left. Tabris, by his very nature, can be persuaded to fight on my side, so you have no real allies left in this world."  
  
"Why?" Arael still had not turned back from the Armisael's unconscious body.  
  
Abel shrugged indifferently.  
  
"He would not fight for me. So I took his powers and gave them to my warriors, giving them both speed and maneuverability unrivaled by any other. Well, any other except me and a few other Angels. Now though, I do not really need him." Even as Abel spoke, Armisael's body was covered in a white light. The body disintegrated and nothing was left except for the cross. "Now Arael, will you join me or do you wish to suffer the same fate?"  
  
Arael roared again, this time at Abel. Light began to stream from his body while orange flares exploded around him. The enraged Angel let loose with all his power. He flung aside the other Angels holding him. Several were engulfed by the flares or the light. The others were holding their heads, shrieking in agony. Abel, though, seemed unaffected by Arael's powerful mental and field attack. In complete abandon, Arael launched himself at Abel, his AT field forming shields and blades around him.  
  
Abel raised his right arm; palm forward, his eyes glowing. A bright burst came from his outstretched hand. Arael's cry of pain resounded throughout the chamber and into the sphere beyond. A bright flash followed and then there was nothing except Abel in the great chamber. His lips curved into a grim smile as he turned around.  
  
"Xephon!"  
  
The gates opened and the summoned Angel came forward instantly.  
  
"Signal the others in orbit! Begin the attack."  
  
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Yoko smiled as yet another enemy ship fell to her lasers. While faster and more durable than her own ship, the enemy's ships' talent for combat was almost pitiful. The shields that protected them were strong enough but were not meant to take the number of hits she was making. She wondered if mediocre pilots were the standard for these new invaders. Ten minutes into the fight and they had already shot down thrice as many ships as they had lost.  
  
Unfortunately the enemy had more than tenfold the number of ships waiting in reserve. The only probable reason those haven't attacked yet was that, with their less than brilliant piloting skills, more ships in the battle would be a disadvantage rather than an advantage. As it was, Terra's small fleet of starships was holding well against them.  
  
The battle had started when three new enemy ships, each as large as the station, came up from the planet. Their trajectory convinced Yoko that the ships were in fact from Earth, and not from another planet. She had expected the new ships to be for battle but rather they had been mass carriers, discharging squadron after squadron of enemy fighters. Admiral Leon had immediately ordered all the pilots into their own fighters while at the same time, preparing to evacuate the station. Now, the Terra fleet, lead by the Terra force and the Redsnappers, were fighting a delaying battle.  
  
Yoko glanced at the display on her screen. While the fighter had a built in system similar to the Eva's neural connection, it still depended on electronics to display the information. The ship's system limited the sensory input available but didn't provide the pain that the Evangelions would feel. The fighter itself was colored in varying shades of blue and shaped somewhat like an oversized and over-accessorized skateboard. Lasers and missiles were placed at several points along the body but the main weapon varied from starship to starship. Yoko's was a pointed cannon on the bow termed the "Everblack Cannon" due to the powerful black beam it made.  
  
A flare off her starboard bow alerted her to a possible enemy. She looked out of her cockpit just in time to see another enemy explode, courtesy of her best friend/wingman. Ayano's face appeared on her screen.  
  
"Are you all right, Yoko-san?"  
  
"I'm alright, thanks Ayano."  
  
"Admiral Leon says they are almost finished with the evacuation. We should be able to withdraw in a few more minutes."  
  
"Got it. Now let's shoot some more of these things. We'll show them who they're fighting against!"  
  
Ayano hesitated just as she was about to sign off the connection. She waited, dodging another orange beam before speaking once more.  
  
"Umm, Yoko-san?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"What do you think they are?"  
  
Yoko considered for a moment, at least as much as one can while in the middle of a battle.  
  
"Not exactly human, not exactly Angel."  
  
"Do you think they're like us?"  
  
"I doubt it. But even if they were, I would still fight them. Nobody tries to destroy my home and get away with it."  
  
Ayano smiled, and then frowned a bit.  
  
"I would too, but I wish we wouldn't have to."  
  
Yoko didn't reply.  
  
A burst of static announced the coming of another party to the conversation. By silent agreement, both girls stopped talking about their current topic. Lawson's face appeared on another screen.  
  
"Everybody, the station has been boarded. There are two entry points. We'll blast off in the Admiral's cruiser and head back to Earth."  
  
"Alright" Yoko replied in the midst of blowing up another ship. "We'll form up on you when you finish."  
  
"Affirma-." Lawson never finished his reply.  
  
The three carriers had just fired at the station. Apparently, the escape of the crew had convinced the enemy commander to use all his weapons even if it meant sacrificing the lives of his boarding parties.  
  
"Lawson! Admiral!" Ayano cried out, despite the knowledge that the connection had been cut.  
  
"Damn you!" Yoko snarled as she brought her ship around to face the enemy carriers. Though she knew it was dangerous to attempt this particular attack, her mind was set on vengeance. "Everblack Cannon charged and fire!" Her ship's warning lights lit up as the cannon fired without waiting for the appropriate charge up time.  
  
The black beam, though not at full power, was still powerful enough to fry the ships that got in the way. It pushed forward, hitting one of the carriers amidships and blasting through clear to the other side. The carrier exploded into a brilliant red and orange fireball.  
  
Then from the ruins of the space station came another explosion. From it emerged the brilliant white cruiser of the Admiral. Yoko and Ayano gasped simultaneously then turned and headed towards the cruiser, which was busy storming its way through the battle. Lasers firing from all sides, the massive warship pushed through the front heading towards Earth.  
  
"Admiral Leon! Lawson! Come in."  
  
"Alright already, there's really no need to shout." The redheaded engineer was complaining with a finger to the ear as if he hadn't just come out of a spectacular explosion.  
  
Yoko sighed. She should have known better than to worry about Lawson or the Admiral.  
  
"You all right?"  
  
"I'm fine. Sarah's a bit shook up, but otherwise she's okay too. We were the last ones aboard the station."  
  
"Where to now?"  
  
Admiral Leon's profile appeared on another window.  
  
"Now we go back to Earth. We find the available base and dock there until we get a new spaceport. Unfortunately, sources tell us that the German base has been attacked as well. The US bases are well on the other side and the Russian and Chinese bases won't let us dock for fear of an attack on them."  
  
"Where does that leave us?"  
  
"The largest available base, in fact the only available base, is NERV HQ in Tokyo-3."  
  
"Tokyo-3, huh?" Yoko almost smiled at the irony.  
  
Behind their small fleet, the enemy vessels stayed where they were. None bothered to pursue the retreating Earth craft. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that the area was littered with the scraps of fallen Angels.  
  
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End of Chapter 3  
  
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Author's Notes  
  
I know that this chapter doesn't really focus on Shinji, but be aware that all of the events in this chapter happened in less than two hours, and less than two days has passed since the story began. The chapter also focuses mostly on outside events to explain the shift in settings and to tell the events leading to the climax of the story. However, this tale is still far from over. I expect it to be more than ten chapters.  
  
Some of you might be curious about the Angels and other characters I included in the story. Musashi and Keita should be familiar to those who played the "Iron Maiden"(Girlfriend of Steel) game.  
  
As for Abel, Xephon and Shizel, only Shizel is my own creation. Abel should be familiar to most Christians as the second son of Adam and the one who sacrificed flesh and blood (a lamb) where his brother Cain (Kain) only sacrificed fruits and other plant parts. As an Angel, he is one of the twelve powers given the task to judge souls arriving in heaven and is also an angel of the Fourth Heaven. Xephon is one of the cherubim (an Angel warrior with a sword) and in Paradise Lost was one of the two who found Satan in the Garden of Eden. Shizel's brother is also an Angel and will be revealed in later chapters.  
  
Also, congratulations to Salazar Almighty for being the first one to actually uncover one of this fanfic's secrets before it was revealed. The characters play a different role though, than they did in the series. 


	4. Chapter 04: The Fifth Configuration

.At the edge of chaos, unexpected outcomes occur. The risk to survival is severe. - Michael Chrichton  
  
Chapter 04  
  
Darkness. Within the darkness, a door opened and Chairman Lorenz Keel walked into the unlit room. The sudden light revealed a TV monitor, a chair, and a small desk with an intercom and a CD player.  
  
Walking with the use of a cane, Keel made his way to the chair. Despite his pronounced limp and hunched back, the old man exuded an air of pride.   
  
In his hand, he held a single CD case. The disk inside contained a recording from his Agent's latest report. Keel had deemed it safer for the reports to be recorded instead of direct. After several handlers had died from hidden explosives or toxins, he had been proven correct.  
  
Sitting down, he inserted the disk into the player. The TV automatically turned on. Static, then images started to appear, becoming clearer by the second. A blue-skinned face appeared, belonging to one of his top Agents, one that Chairman Keel would never forget. After all, it was he who found that face.  
  
It was just over a year before that he had found the boy and his sister. He had been lead to them by their energy signatures and he had found them unconscious. When the boy woke up, he didn't remember anything about himself or his sister save their names. "Zophiel and Shizel", he had called themselves. Aside from that, he did not know anything else, and neither his identity, nor his origin was ever discovered.  
  
Though the boy did not know what he was, Keel did. And so Keel had had the boy trained in the arts of stealth, espionage, and assassination. The boy had learned with an amazing degree and at an unbelievable rate. He seemed to be reviewing lessons learned in the past, then forgotten, a trait that raised Keel's suspicions. When after a few months, the boy did not show any other sign, Keel had put aside those suspicions. The boy had then progressed to become his most valuable Agent, one that was under his direct control.  
  
It was a pity that his sister did not share the same trait. Though the two always worked together on missions, the girl had not spoken or responded to anyone else except her brother. She never spoke, even when ordered to. She accepted training and missions without a word. How the siblings communicated was a mystery, even to Keel. It was the only reason that the girl was allowed to live.  
  
His Agent's voice broke through Keel's reminiscence. He listened intently as the youth reported his mission.  
  
"We scouted the area per orders, Chairman. The NERV base in Berlin was not destroyed but its personnel were all killed. No weapons or information were stolen but the enemy seems to be manning the base with their own personnel. It appears that the annihilation of the staff was the enemy's objective. We had one contact with the enemy, during which we managed to defeat them. At present, we are returning to Headquarters with the full data. Zophiel, out."  
  
The screen went blank. Keel mulled over the information he had just received, then pressed the intercom button.  
  
"Call a meeting immediately."  
  
Without waiting for a reply, he cut off the connection.  
  
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Asuka sat on the sofa inside Misato's apartment, trying to see if there was anything of interest on television. Finding absolutely nothing that would hold her attention for more than a few seconds, she decided to salvage whatever brain cells she had left and turned off the TV.  
  
She looked around for something else to do, something that would occupy her in the very boring time period between six and seven PM. Unfortunately, there was none. The Third Child was still preparing dinner, so teasing and taunting him was out of the question unless she wanted more of Misato's cooking.  
  
That meant there was only one other thing to do. One thing that, if she weren't as bored as she was she would not even attempt. That thing was conversation with a certain blue-haired pilot who was currently watching Asuka from the other side of the sofa. Asuka might have called the gaze creepy, since the albino was taking her time studying Asuka's profile as if it was the most natural thing to do.  
  
'What could be interesting about me that would matter to that doll? If it was anybody else, staring at me might be considered normal, but Wondergirl is definitely not normal. Wait a minute, could she be interested in me that way? After all, it has happened before and with my looks, it's hardly surprising.' Asuka's thoughts were rapidly taking a turn for the worse. Then again, that's what happens when you are bored.  
  
'Why did the stupid stooge invite her here in the first place? I bet that excuse about letting her go alone being dangerous was a lie. I have enough trouble with him; I can't be bothered by a doll! This is all his fault. When I finish eating, I'm going to beat him to a pulp.'  
  
Fortunately for the designated target of Asuka's temper, Rei decided on that specific moment to speak up.  
  
"Pilot Soryu, why do you behave so antagonistically towards Pilot Ikari and myself?"  
  
Asuka couldn't have been more surprised if Misato had suddenly stopped drinking, or the Commander had suddenly stopped being a jerk, or if Shinji had suddenly grown a spine. Well, except that last one, there was no way Shinji could ever grow a spine. At the moment, all Asuka could utter was a single syllable. "What?"  
  
"I said,. . ."  
  
"I know what you said, Wondergirl, I just couldn't believe you said it." Asuka was holding a hand to her forehead and clutching her stomach with the other hand. Apparently she was trying to contain her laughter, so as to be able to give an audible answer. Rei just watched.  
  
Finally Asuka seemed to calm down. Taking a sideways look at Rei, she started. "You are quite a piece of work, Wondergirl. Definitely the most elaborate puppet I have ever seen. Why would you be interested in how I treat the baka? Don't tell me you actually have feelings for him?"  
  
Rei answered immediately, not moving a single muscle other than her vocal system. "My feelings for Ikari-kun are irrelevant. Your behavior, however, detracts from our efficiency every time we go on a mission. Since you claim yourself to be more intelligent than him, I would assume your logic has a basis."  
  
"Are you saying I'm dumb?" Asuka snarled, her hands starting to form into fists.  
  
"No, I'm asking you if you are."  
  
"What the hell! If you think you can just insult me, then you're way out of your league, Wondergirl!"  
  
"I asked you for your logical basis on how you behave. Given that you do not have a logical basis, I would assume that you are illogical."  
  
"Says you" Asuka snapped. "I already told you that I don't need a lecture from you. If you want to know why I treat Shinji like that, it's because he deserves to be treated like that. He's a stupid, spineless, pervert."  
  
Rei was still calm. "Ikari-kun does not have a logical basis either, but he has shown himself to be capable at times. He also acknowledges his own lack of worth so I fail to see the logic behind your words."  
  
"It's exactly because of his worthlessness that I'm mad at him. Someone that worthless cannot be better than me!"  
  
"I'm sorry you feel that way, Asuka." Asuka and Rei turned towards the source of the words to find Shinji in the kitchen doorway. He spoke again. "Dinner's ready."  
  
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Shinji stood in the doorway, facing his two fellow pilots. "Dinner's ready" he repeated.  
  
Rei got up from the sofa and began to move towards the food, but Asuka sprang up and marched forward. She came up to Shinji and poked him in the chest. "And just what do you mean by that, Third Child?"  
  
"Look Asuka, I don't want to fight you."  
  
"Then tell me what you meant by that."  
  
Shinji took a deep breath before answering. Rei was already at the table. She kept her silence but hadn't started eating yet.  
  
"Asuka, you already know that I don't want to pilot Evas."  
  
"Then what are you here for. If you don't want to pilot, then don't. Or do you think we'll just fall apart without you. What happened last time was a fluke, Third Child. It won't happen again." Asuka was shouting by now.  
  
"I'm sorry, Asuka. It's not that I don't have faith in you Asuka. It's that I don't have faith in myself. I could never forgive myself if I let you, or Rei or Misato down. If someone deserves to be hurt while piloting those things, it's me."  
  
Asuka couldn't find a smart retort to that one, so she settled for the next best thing. "Don't you dare underestimate what I am capable of." With that, Asuka marched past the Third Child towards the table, effectively ending the argument.  
  
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Gendo sat behind his desk, his hands clasped in front of his face, fingers intertwined. Beside him, Fuyutsuki stood, his posture belying his age. In front of the desk were the two new factors that had brought Gendo from his other plans.  
  
Mana and Musashi stood side by side, their eyes focused on the Commander. Mana appeared calm and unafraid, seemingly confident of her task. Musashi looked a bit strange in his pilot gear, but was otherwise decidedly fixed on the conversation. The dark-skinned boy reminded Gendo of a wary panther, eager to protect what was his. Musashi's jaw was set, an indication of how tense the boy was.  
  
Gendo spoke. "Your offer intrigues me, Kirishima. Your motives don't concern me, but what value could you possibly offer me. I could just give the order and the two of you as well as your" referring to Musashi "Trident would be in my hands."  
  
The unspoken threat was there, as well as the confidence in his own power. Mana knew enough not to underestimate the cold bastard but she was willing to give her last shot a go.  
  
"True Commander. Yet I am offering you my services and cooperation willingly, without the need for unwarranted force. Though you know much about my mission, my robot, and me I doubt you know everything. I can give you access to JSSDF files and future operations, including the one's that concern your organization. In return, all I ask is that my fellow pilot and I be allowed to join that organization."  
  
The small speech was precise and to the point. It was one of the few things Gendo would admire in others since he preferred it himself. The benefits offered, although not necessary, would be of great use to him. After all, he was being offered information, technology, and service and the only condition was that he accepts it and let the two defections live under his command. Besides, it would be a great blow to the JSSDF to lose the Trident series, already having lost the Jet Alone series before in a humiliation.  
  
The whole thing was being handed to him on a silver platter. Gendo had learned to never trust a silver platter.  
  
"Your proposition is accepted. The two of you will stay in NERV. Your quarters will be designated shortly. Any and all information asked of you will be given. Dismissed."  
  
At the word, Man turned on her heel and left. Musashi followed right behind her. As soon as the door closed, Fuyutsuki spoke.  
  
"You don't really need them."  
  
"No, I don't." Gendo replied. "But having them under our thumb is better than having them as a wild card. I dislike wild cards."  
  
Gendo then opened a direct connection to Section 2 command. "Set surveillance on the two JSSDF pilots."  
  
"Understood, sir" was the reply.  
  
Gendo returned his hands to their previous position. Without turning, he asked Fuyutsuki. "Has Doctor Akagi finished with the new recruit to the technical staff?"  
  
"She will be finished shortly. I doubt the recruit will deny his chance."  
  
"And the Fifth Child?"  
  
"Arriving as we speak, sir."  
  
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"So what's this I hear about new recruits?" Misato was saying as she and Ritsuko walked down a NERV hallway. "I didn't think you needed anymore pilots."  
  
Ritsuko continued to scan her clipboard while answering. "He's not going to be a pilot, Misato. He's going to be one of the technical team. Quite young for such a position, but then again age isn't really a defining factor in this organization."  
  
Misato's face broke into a grin. "So we get a new Bridge Bunny? Great! It'll be good to see a new face. Not that I have anything against you or the others Ritsu, but sometimes, you're all too serious for me."  
  
Ritsuko raised her eyebrow at the comment. "You find everybody too serious, Misato. It comes with your immaturity. Now, why was it again that you decided to accompany me?"  
  
Misato's face fell for a moment, before she spoke in a noticeably strained voice. "It's nothing Ritsu. I'm just taking time to see what my best friend is doing. Besides, as the Operations Director, I have to know about what's going on around here."  
  
'You might wish you didn't if you did,' thought Ritsuko, though the next thing she said had a different message. "You're obviously lying, Misato. I've been you're best friend since college, I can tell when you're faking it or not."  
  
Taking a sideways glance at the major, she continued. "This wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that Kaji has disappeared, now would it? I understand the Children are having a somewhat strained relationship as well."  
  
"Strained would be an understatement." Misato responded as they stepped into an elevator. "But that kind of thing is rather normal for them. No, I really just want to know more about what is going on. And I figured, if I hang around you and find out, I can also find out what Kaji's up to."  
  
"Getting information from me would be a long shot at best, Misato. I don't know where Kaji is and you probably already know the recruit I'm going to see." Privately, she thought. 'Though I don't doubt that the Commander knows about where Kaji is. I'm sorry I can't tell you anything Misato, but there are some things that you best not know about.'  
  
Misato's attention however, had been refocused towards the new subject in the conversation. "Someone I know? Now who else would I know that so good at technical stuff, that he'd join your team?"  
  
"You'll find out soon enough." Ritsuko replied as they stepped out of the elevator, into a hallway where two boys waited, along with a few Section 2 agents. "Though whether you'll still be happy after you do is a different matter."  
  
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Misato glanced at the two boys in the room. She recognized one of them readily enough as the Fourth Child. His dark jacket and spiky hair could seldom be mistaken. His bionic implants also served as a not so gentle reminder of who he was.  
  
At the moment the, the Fourth Child was currently in deep conversation with the other boy. This one was shorter than the former pilot, and had light brown, curly hair. His glasses framed his face, making him look intelligent and weak at the same time. At present, his features were arranged into a mixed look of confusion and euphoria.  
  
Misato recalled meeting the boy a few months earlier, and seeing him around from time to time. She remembered that he was one of Shinji's very small circle of friends. Her mind searched for a name and found it just as Ritsuko started to speak.  
  
"Aida Kensuke, welcome to NERV."  
  
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Kensuke was staring at the blond woman in the lab coat. His nervousness was rising with every minute, even though Touji had already told him earlier not to worry. Though Kensuke had always wanted to be inside NERV and pilot an Evangelion, he wasn't sure what to make out of the current situation. He noted, with some relief that Major Katsuragi was behind the blond woman. He didn't know the major very well but he had met her a few times with Shinji and thought her to be a good person. Surely, she wouldn't allow to be incarcerated. He just hoped she hadn't heard the jokes he had made about her.  
  
The blond woman spoke again. "Mr. Aida, I am Akagi Ritsuko, head of NERV's programming staff and Laboratory Department. I assume that you know why you are here." She looked down at Kensuke with glaring eyes.  
  
Kensuke struggled not to gulp. "It wouldn't have anything to do with what I did earlier on my computer, would it?"  
  
Ritsuko smiled a little. "Actually, it does. This involves all your previous work. According to our records, that includes three attempts at hacking, five occurrences concerning the acquirement of classified information, and one attempt to change the code in the anti-hacking program with the purpose of using it as a safeguard while you copied and transferred information, pictures, and battle data."  
  
Kensuke felt his throat go dry. He gave a nervous laugh and said. "Oh yeah, I remember that one. It wasn't really anything serious, I just wanted to know more about what was the deal with the Evas."  
  
Beside him, Touji decided to speak up. "Look Doc, I know Kensuke has gone over the line a few times, but he didn't really mean any harm. He was just doing it for kicks. It's not like he really damaged anything, so can't you let it go?"  
  
Ritsuko almost laughed at the worried looks on the two boys' faces. "Don't worry, Pilot Suzuhara. I'm not here to send your friend to jail. In fact I'm offering him a job right here at NERV."  
  
Kensuke sighed I relief. Then the words fully sank into his mind. "Really? Does that mean I become an Eva pilot?"  
  
"No, actually we wanted to use your abilities for the technical staff. If you accept, you will be assigned the task of writing programs designed to counter other hackers. Since you'll be one of us, you'll know everything you want to know about the Evangelions."  
  
Touji looked at Kensuke, then at the doctor. "What about me?"  
  
"Unfortunately, Pilot Suzuhara, your injuries make it improbable that you will ever pilot again. However, under the terms of our contract, you will be staying at NERV from now on to prevent any leakage of information or attempts on your life. I'm sure you know that as an organization, not everyone is on our side."  
  
Touji nodded. If anything, he was happy that he wouldn't pilot anymore. "At least I can still hang around with Kensuke and Shinji, right?"  
  
"When conditions allow it." Ritsuko replied. "Now what is your answer to the offer, Mr. Aida?"  
  
Kensuke thought the matter over. He was a bit disappointed that he wouldn't be able to pilot an Eva but considering what had happened to his two best friends, maybe that was a good thing. Being a tech wasn't so bad after all, and it was something he was actually good at. And he had every chance of seeing Misato as often as he wanted.  
  
"Okay, I'll do it."  
  
"Excellent. You will be transferred to a nearer location shortly. Please prepare everything you might want to bring alone. Good night, Mr. Aida." Ritsuko turned back to Misato, who had remained uncharacteristically silent during the conversation.  
  
"Now what is it, Misato?"  
  
Misato turned to her, looking more serious as she had ever been. "Now we're using children to man our technical staff, Ritsuko? Do you think what we were doing hadn't been bad enough?"  
  
Ritsuko didn't answer; she just turned away and walked to the elevator. Misato glanced back at the two boys for a moment, and then she turned away as well.  
  
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Pain streaked briefly through Kaoru's body. He clenched his hands and concentrated, trying to find its source. A cry echoed through his mind, one of pain and anguish. 'Arael', he thought. 'Armisael. Why are you I pain? Where are you?'  
  
When nobody answered, he slumped down in his seat as he resigned himself to the inevitable conclusion. Kaoru hadn't expected Armisael to answer, but Arael should have been able to send a message with his abilities.  
  
He looked out of the window of the VTOL, just as the captain's voice sounded off the speakers, announcing their arrival in Tokyo-3. 'Arael and Armisael have been destroyed before they came to the city. Why? Who did it? It cannot be SEELE, as they need us for we are the signals for their plan. Any other Lilim organization would have been detected if they had attempted anything.'  
  
He left his thoughts as the VTOL landed on the tarmac. Seconds later, he was in an armored limo with guards on both sides as they made their way through the city. Along the way, he pondered what he was going to do. Things had changed drastically. Neither SEELE nor the Angels were in charge of the current situation. He suspected that a time of confusion and chaos would come before control was returned to either side. Both were too powerful to gain control of the other without a brilliant struggle. And of course NERV and the massive insurgence were forces to be reckoned with on their own.  
  
The limo parked inside one of NERV's garages. A guard opened the door and Kaoru stepped out of the vehicle. The guard led him and his escort towards the Commander's office. The route was so complicated, Kaoru almost lost track of where they were going. Almost.  
  
As he passed by the residential section, he witnessed two teenagers going into one of the hallways. One was a rather cute girl with maroon hair and the other was an equally cute boy with dark hair in a strange suit. Kaoru wondered whether there had been any additional pilots. These two were definitely not in the briefing.  
  
Finally they arrived at the office of the fabled Commander Ikari Gendo. Stepping inside, Kaoru suddenly found himself alone. Apparently, his escort didn't count the Commander as one of the threats they were supposed to protect him from.  
  
A light went on and he found himself facing the two Commanders. Before he could say anything, Commander Ikari spoke.  
  
"Welcome to NERV HQ, Nagisa Kaoru, designated Fifth Child. You will be living inside NERV for the duration of your stay. You will be escorted to your designated quarters immediately. Dismissed."  
  
A pair of agents came through the door and went to either side of Kaoru. "This way, sir", one of them stated. Kaoru looked as if he was mildly surprised for a moment, then shrugged and followed the agents, humming on his way. He had been humming the whole time.  
  
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"Well, that was rather short." Fuyutsuki commented to Gendo. "I thought you would at least interrogate and analyze him before sending him to his quarters."  
  
Gendo turned slowly to face Fuyutsuki, an impressive feat, considering he managed to do so without turning his body.  
  
"Fuyutsuki-sensei. That was the third time I had to personally deal with a spy today. I suggest you step up measures to make sure that these kinds of confrontations are unnecessary in the future. I find them irritating."  
  
Fuyutsuki raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything except, "Yes, sir."  
  
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The meeting of SEELE was just starting when Chairman Keel made his startling announcement.  
  
"The NERV Branch in Berlin has been attacked. The Commander of the Branch managed to delete all information pertaining to NERV and us but there are no survivors. The entire base has been taken over the attackers whom we have identified as a new strain of Angels."  
  
"That is not all." Nine continued for the Chairman. "The station for Project T has been destroyed. Its loss is of no great importance to us. However the entire fleet managed to evacuate and losses there are minimal. Admiral Leon has reported to be regrouping the fleet and heading towards NERV HQ in Japan."  
  
"Ikari is already a danger to us." Two added. "Giving him the starships will make his forces very difficult to deal with. Of our three agents, one has defected, and one has gone missing. We must enforce more control."  
  
"We cannot do that" was Eight's rebuttal. "The leaders of Russia, China, Germany and the United Kingdom are already clamoring for information and permission to launch their militaries. A delegate from the Americans, escorted by USSF elite forces is already on their way to ask Ikari for aid. Eliminating Ikari now would destabilize the entire situation, sending it further out of our control."  
  
Eleven cursed. "The Scrolls are practically useless to us now. We can no longer depend on their information. And the bases in the US, Russia and China are bound to come under attack as well. What can we do to stave off defeat?"  
  
"We can turn this situation around to our advantage." Seven, ever the optimist, answered for their cause. "The new Angels have displayed their priorities by attacking Project E and the Berlin base, both of which were major threats to their existence. By massing our forces in Tokyo-3, we create a threat too powerful and imminent for them to ignore. They will attack there and give us time to build up our forces elsewhere. It will also keep Ikari busy while we implement our plans."  
  
"And what if Ikari falls to the new Angels?" Chairman Keel asked. "The Lance, the Evangelions, Adam and Lilith. All of these will fall into the Angels' hands if NERV HQ falls."  
  
"Then we send insurance to make sure that they don't." Seven countered. "I have been proven right when I recommended to send the Fifth Child earlier. Now I recommend that we send additional agents to make sure that the base does not fall, that Ikari is dealt with properly, and that the scenario is pushed through."  
  
"And who do you have in mind?"  
  
"Why, your two most reliable Agents, of course!"  
  
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Keel gritted his teeth in frustration as he finished briefing Gendo.  
  
"Do you understand, Ikari?"  
  
"Affirmative. I am to take overall command of the starship forces as well as any troops in the vicinity of Tokyo-3. The pilots and everyone of significance to the project are to be moved inside the Geofront. I am also to expect two more arrivals whose purposes are still not clear to me." Gendo answered with a definite sneer in his voice, though his face didn't change.  
  
Five, expressing his chronic dislike for the Commander, butted in. "You do not need to know their purposes, Ikari. Just understand that they are under your responsibility and that they are there to report to us. Don't think you can get away with defying us at every turn."  
  
"Understood." Gendo said. He turned away and disappeared from the meeting.  
  
"Do you think he will do it?" Three asked.  
  
"He is too good not to suspect us. He will undoubtedly place our Agents under watch. Yet, that is better than having no one to watch him. Either way, they will pose as trouble to him." Eight's analogy was cool and complete. "By the way, Seven, how did you know of Chairman Keel's new Agents when we did not?"  
  
"I would also like to know that." Keel added. He was not happy that someone else knew about his hidden advantages.  
  
A chuckle sounded from Seven. "Gentlemen, we are of SEELE. We have dedicated our lives to knowing everything about those around us so that we can control them. Surely my knowledge of the Agents is not a surprise to you. Neither should be the fact that I prefer to keep my sources a secret."  
  
The dark room was silent for a moment. Then Keel spoke again, his voice neutral. "Very well. We all know what is to be done. This meeting is over."  
  
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The ringing of the phone alerted the Third Child. He glanced up from where he was washing the dishes and turned to Rei who was currently standing by him. It had taken a while to satisfy her questions concerning his cleaning habits.  
  
"Rei, can you pick that up for me, please?"  
  
Rei just nodded and went to pick up the phone. Shinji continued to wash the dishes, catching pieces of conversation every now and then. After a few minutes, Rei returned.  
  
"Who was that Rei?"  
  
"That was the Major. She said to inform you and Pilot Soryu to prepare your belongings."  
  
"For what?" asked Shinji, washing his hands of the soap.  
  
"For the transfer to NERV The Commander has given an order that we are to do so immediately. Section 2 will come for us in thirty minutes."  
  
Shinji was now completely alert. He hadn't expected everything to happen so soon. He looked at the clock, and found it to be just nine in the evening. "Guess I'll have to wake up Asuka. I hope she's in a good mood."  
  
Rei didn't bother to comment.  
  
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End of Chapter  
  
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Author's Notes  
  
With the fourth chapter, I complete another short installment. All of the pieces are coming together but how they fit is still in question.  
  
The next chapter should be finished a week after this installment. 


	5. Chapter 05: The Gathering

My apologies for delaying this chapter for so long. Though few may actually enjoy, I've kept those few waiting long enough. As usual, reviews and flames are very welcome.  
  
Chapter 05  
  
The Third Child stood at the sink, washing dishes used the meal before. The cold water ran over his hands, washing away the soft bubbles as he meticulously cleaned each plate. The evidence of the meal disappeared as he continued on his routine. His face was solemn, melancholy.   
  
Behind him, Pen-Pen watched as the short stack of plates disappeared. Truthfully, the duty for this chore should have belonged to their guardian, or at least should have been shared between the remaining members. But only two of those members possessed the capability to do it, and only one had the will and the tolerance. 'Better make that two', he thought, as the newly christened member approached. 'After all, a visitor should be gracious to her host.'  
  
Shinji felt a presence at his side half a moment before he heard her voice. It was so soft; he almost mistook it for his own imagination or a message from his other friend.  
  
"Why do you do this?" Rei asked from her position. Her head was tilted ever so slightly to the side but otherwise gave no indication of her thoughts. Her uniform was still clean and unruffled after a full day at school.  
  
"Do what, Rei?" Shinji lost his initial uneasiness when he found out who was the talking to him. Taking one of the rags from the sink, he proceeded to dry the utensils he had already washed. Drops of water dripped from his hand to his elbow and apron but he didn't mind them. They were not unusual to him.  
  
"You clean this apartment as if it were you're designated task. And yet, considering the habits of Major Katsuragi and Pilot Soryu, your attempts are wasteful, inefficient and uncalled for."   
  
Throughout the small speech, Rei did not blink nor did she change her tone even once. Pen-Pen decided that the atmosphere was beginning to become too depressing and waddled over to his refrigerator.  
  
Shinji dried the piece of cloth by squeezing the water out before answering again. His mouth curved in a small bittersweet smile. "I guess I'm just used to it. It's not like I mind it after all."  
  
Rei moved her right arm to grasp her left elbow behind her back. "Such useless activities are harmful to yourself. The toxins alone may incapacitate you, preventing you from piloting."  
  
Shinji continued smiling as he dried the second plate. "Yeah. But I think of it as a kind of maintenance. If I didn't do it, this place would crumble."  
  
Rei considered his answer for several long moments, during which Shinji finished the rest of the dishes. Shinji's cell phone rang just as she was about to respond.  
  
"Could you get that for me Rei? I'll be finished in a sec." The boy was now putting away the plates as he talked.  
  
Rei closed her half-opened mouth and went to the table where Shinji had left his cell phone. Placing the phone close to her ear, she answered with a passive "Hello."  
  
"Rei, is that you?" The voice of Major Katsuragi was clearly audible. "Why are you answering Shinji's cell phone?"  
  
Rei distanced the phone an inch further from her sensitive hearing organs. "Ikari-kun invited me to have supper with him and the Second Child."  
  
"So he finally got the guts to ask you, huh?" The smile was almost discernable in the Misato's voice. "I'll tease him later but right now you better tell him to start packing. Tell Asuka and Pen-Pen to start packing too. The Commander just sent an order for all of us to move to the Geofront. Don't really know what the hell's up with that. Section Two's gonna be picking you guys up in a half-hour. You got that, Rei?"  
  
"Affirmative." Rei replied.  
  
"Thanks Rei." The line went dead.  
  
Rei replaced the cell phone and retraced her steps back to where the Third Child was wiping the sink. He turned around to face her.  
  
"Who was that Rei?"  
  
"Major Katsuragi."  
  
"Misato? Will she be working late again?" He washed the rag under the faucet and then squeezed.  
  
"No."  
  
"What is it then?"  
  
"She said to inform you, the Second Child and your pet to pack as we are moving to the Geofront."  
  
Shinji stopped, the water still rushing through his fingers. "You mean were gonna be moving there? What about Misato?"  
  
"As I understood, the Major is to move with us as well per Commander Ikari's orders."  
  
"I see." Shinji took off the apron, placing it over a chair to dry. "Guess I better wake up Asuka. Hope she's in a good mood." He moved with a resigned expression. It wasn't as if this was unexpected, after all. Briefly, he considered taking back the words he had said earlier. Asuka prided herself on being strong, and by saying what he had said he had inadvertently insulted her.  
  
He walked out of the kitchen. Pen-Pen, who had heard the entire conversation from his refrigerator, came out and opened Misato's fridge. Rei stood still for a moment, then turned around and followed Shinji to Asuka's room.  
  
Shinji stood in front of Asuka's room. Slowly he raised his right hand and softly knocked on the door. "Asuka?"  
  
There was no answer. He decided to try again, this time louder. "Asuka? Misato said to start packing. We're moving to NERV."  
  
When still no answer came, he decided to risk the consequences. "Asuka, I'm coming in." He slid open the door and stepped into the German's room. As soon as his foot touched the floor inside, however, a long white object hurtled towards his midsection. Knowing it was coming, Shinji didn't even try to avoid it.  
  
Asuka's sideward kick caught him in the belly. He doubled over and fell towards the floor, bruising his nose. He wasn't worried, though, at least not too much. The pain would go away and the injury would heal over time. He hoped.  
  
Asuka towered over him, dressed in a pair of dark blue shorts and a yellow stringed shirt. Her arms were crossed over her chest as she looked down her nose at the fallen boy. "What do you think you are trying to do, pervert?"  
  
Shinji considered for a moment whether to answer her or not. Answering right away would probably get him accused of lying, not answering would get him accused of being a pervert. Just as he opened his mouth, another voice answered for him. Rei must have thought him too incapacitated to be able to respond.  
  
"Major Katsuragi has said to inform you of your imminent transfer to NERV HQ."  
  
Asuka raised an eyebrow at the message. For a few seconds, silence reigned. Then the Second Child turned towards the prone pilot and in an uncharacteristically calm voice asked, "Is this true, Third?"  
  
Shinji nodded as best as he could manage. For a moment, Asuka looked crestfallen. Then she turned her back on the two other pilots. "Get out."  
  
"Asuka?" Shinji managed to ask while getting up. He rubbed the soft spot on his nose where he had fallen. He faced the redhead who still had her back turned towards him, her face hidden from sight.  
  
"Didn't you hear what she said? We're moving. So get off your lazy butt and move." Asuka's voice was raised but without the usual conviction. "Just get going, will you."  
  
Shinji looked at her for a few more moments. Then he turned and walked out. Rei followed. They made their way to Shinji's room. On the way, they saw what looked like Pen-Pen packing two suitcases. One was full of Misato's stuff; the other had a couple of beer, a couple of manga books, and an ice pack. Shinji gave a split-second smile of ruefulness at the sight. It was so brief, Rei almost didn't notice it if it wasn't for her extensive training for observation.  
  
Going into Shinji's room, Rei was almost surprised. The way Ikari-kun had spoken to her, she would have thought his room was more furnished compared to hers. It was, but not really in any spectacular way. It was neater, but aside from that, the room was bare of any inessentials. No photographs, no decorations, nothing that an ordinary boy should have had according to her knowledge. Then again, her knowledge on the subject was limited at best. She surmised to wait before making any conclusions.  
  
Shinji noticed her just standing there. He looked around the room for a way to make her comfortable. Seeing nothing, he gave a defeated sigh. "Umm, Rei? Would you like to sit on the futon while I pack?"  
  
Rei turned towards him, her eyes scanning him as if scrutinizing a newfound detail, an unknown factor. Shinji tried not to shiver. Finally she went to Shinji's futon and sat down drawing her knees in front of her chest, her arms hugging her legs. The Third Child blushed. It had been some time since a girl had been in his bed, the most recent having been the Second months ago, during their training. Pushing the matter to the side of his mind, he forwarded his attention to the closet that held his small wardrobe.  
  
He packed what he needed or wanted into one suitcase and used another for his cello. His few clothes consisted of uniforms, a few casual pairs, and a formal suit he hadn't used. He placed his SDAT and the small collection of CDs between some clothes so as not to crush them. He made a mental note to thank Kensuke for transferring his music files from the tapes. Finally, he finished, just in time to hear a loud ring from the front of the apartment.  
  
Carrying his suitcase and cello, he went out to find Asuka already answering the door, her demeanor quiet aside from a few remarks at the lack of service. Pen-Pen was waiting by a half-empty can of beer. Rei was right behind him, having gotten up when the Section 2 agents arrived.  
  
The black-suited agents came in by twos. "Pilot Ayanami Rei, Pilot Soryu Asuka Langley, Pilot Ikari Shinji, under orders from Ikari Gendo, Supreme Commander of NERV, you are to be escorted towards your new quarters. Major Katsuragi will be waiting there for your briefing."  
  
Asuka apparently didn't like being told what to do. "Schiesse! You make it sound like a mission or an arrest. Don't you know how to show respect towards your saviors?"  
  
The agents didn't bother to comment. They just made way for Asuka as she stormed out the apartment and into the waiting Humvee. Rei, Shinji and Pen-Pen followed, Shinji carrying his suitcase and cello, Pen-Pen dragging two suitcases by the wings and a six-pack in his mouth.  
  
The drive to NERV HQ was quiet. Shinji kept looking around as if trying to find out what was going on. In reality, he was trying to see how everybody else reacted to the news of his or her transfer. Asuka just kept staring stonily at the front. Guilt gnawed at him for not telling the redhead about what to expect. Then again, she probably wouldn't believe him. Rei would, but she might decide to report it to his father and Shinji knew it wasn't time for that. Not yet, anyway. As for Pen-Pen, he probably knew more than he let on, but like Shinji, didn't want to reveal his true nature yet. Or maybe he just didn't care. Being the last of your kind could make you apathetic towards the rest of the world. Shinji himself had seen what happened to survivors of massacres.  
  
They arrived at the Geofront in less than ten minutes. 'Count on Section 2 to be always punctual', Shinji thought. They continued to Car Park Level Three before finally stopping. Asuka, Shinji and Rei got off of the Humvee. In front of them stood a somewhat haggard Misato, with a hand on her hip and a yawn on her lips. One of the agents saluted. Misato nodded, still a bit cranky. The agent dropped his salute then went back inside the Humvee, which drove off.  
  
As soon as the agents were gone, Misato's demeanor changed. She grinned despite still looking a bit tired. "Hey everybody. Glad to see we're all moving to the same place."  
  
Asuka didn't take the red herring. "What's going on, Misato?"  
  
Misato just smirked albeit a bit strained. "I'll tell you guys what I know while we walk. That okay with you."  
  
"Okay", Shinji said, taking a careful look at Asuka. She glared at him but nodded.  
  
"Alright, this way then." Misato gestured with a hand. The three Children followed the Major across the car park into a freight elevator. Misato pushed the button for the Fifth Level Residence Area As soon as the elevator doors closed, Asuka turned towards her guardian.  
  
"Misato. . ."  
  
"Alright, Asuka." The guardian said, rubbing her forehead lightly. "Where should I start? Okay, the reason we're all moving in here is because of recent attacks on NERV and related facilities. The techs think it's the Angels 'cause of detected blue patterns and the way the attackers fought. As of now, two major bases have been attacked." Misato looked at Asuka with an apologetic look. "One of them was the German base."  
  
Asuka drew in a sharp breath. "How many dead?"  
  
Misato closed her eyes with a pained look. "No survivors. Sorry."  
  
Asuka blanched and Shinji readied himself to be able to catch her if she were to collapse. Fortunately, he didn't have to do that. Asuka was strong enough. Still, the German Branch had been practically her home since her mother committed suicide. Kaji had been her only family there and with him missing, it wasn't making things any easier. Once again, Shinji's conscience berated him for not telling the girl about the attack earlier when he already knew about it. Even if she wouldn't have believed him right away, he still felt as if he was betraying her.  
  
He looked at Rei. The young half-Angel was staring at Misato with attention, the sort one would expect from a soldier receiving his debriefing. Another worried frown etched itself on Shinji's face. He didn't want to have to fight his sister, but he might be forced to if she chose to follow his father. The new Angels would be hard enough to fight against, even with Shinji's old allies trying to help him. Shinji prayed his Rei would be saved from the fate destined for her.  
  
The elevator reached the Fifth Level and the quartet stepped off. Misato and Rei walked ahead. Asuka marched forward, her grip on the suitcases tightened, eyes hidden behind locks of red hair. Shinji hung behind her. Just in case.  
  
They continued walking along the steel blue hallway until they reached a corridor. At the left side of the corridor, red numbers were painted on electronic doors starting from L00 to L17. Above those doors, a single line of orange text declared "Primary NERV Staff". Above the text was the NERV insignia. At the right side of the corridor, blue numbers on a white background numbering from R00 to R07 were visible. The words "Terra Command" ran above the numbers with the background of interstellar space. Further along the corridor's right side, additional numbers from R08 to R17 in white could be seen. There was no text above those but the insignia of a gold eagle on a blue background could be seen on the door of numbers R08 to R10. All of the paint seemed new, as if they were done just yesterday.  
  
"Wow", was the word that Shinji couldn't help uttering. The corridor was probably the most colorful area in NERV. For a moment he wondered why his father would order such a renovation. Then he remembered the news and let out a low chuckle. 'It really is going to be a reunion. I hope the others get here soon.'  
  
Asuka finally came out of her downcast state at the unusual sound of the boy's laugh. "What's so funny, Third Child?"  
  
A half-smile appeared on Shinji's lips, framing the left side of his face, which was hidden from the redhead's view. "Nothing, Asuka. Do you need help with you're luggage?"  
  
The Second Child raised an eyebrow but shook her head. "Nah, the rest of my stuff is being brought here by Section 2. Too bad I couldn't bring anything else. I might have let you have the honor of carrying my belongings."  
  
Shinji coughed at the memory the sentence brought. Asuka's belongings had been heavy enough when they first moved in. If Section 2 was bringing them, he should make sure to thank them properly. 'Maybe a simple snack, or some painkillers. Yeah, they would appreciate the painkillers.'  
  
Misato grinned. "Now that you've seen our new home, you might as well know your rooms. The numbers correspond to your Eva or pilot number. Rei, you're in L00. Shinji, you're in L01. Asuka, you're in L02. Suzuhara is transferring here and will be L03. I heard the Fifth Child is also coming so I assume he's going to be in L04. I'm in L05, so I'll be right next door to you guys."  
  
Asuka faked a groan and put her right hand to her forehead. "Great, one more stooge. As if we didn't already have enough problems with this one. And why do we need a new pilot?"  
  
Misato continued to grin. "Beats me. Anyway, Aida Kensuke has joined the technical staff. He will also be joining us in R06. Ritsuko's in R07, Maya's in R08, Shigeru's in R09, Makoto's in R10."  
  
"WHAT!" was Asuka's indignant query.  
  
"Who's in the rest of the rooms, Misato-san?" came Shinji's hesitant question, one he was forced to make just to distract the Second Child's building rage.  
  
Misato waived a hand. "Dunno. A few agents, most like likely. Don't worry about your father joining us Shinji, I know for a fact that he and the Sub-Commander have their own quarters in the lower levels."  
  
"Major Katsuragi?"  
  
Misato almost missed the passive voice. Rei hadn't spoke since she arrived, Misato had almost forgotten she was still there. "Yes, Rei?"  
  
"Who is Terra Command?" The First Child focused her attention on the Major.  
  
Misato lifted her eyes and bit her tongue, trying to remember. "Lessee, oh yeah, they're from the other base that was attacked. From what I know, they are still regrouping so they shouldn't be here until early morning. Don't worry, you'll meet them soon enough. Maybe Shinji here can finally find a girlfriend."  
  
"Hah." Asuka scoffed. "The day Shinji gets a girlfriend is the day we have Angels fighting on our side!"  
  
Shinji had to struggle to hide his smile.  
  
Suddenly Misato's face took on a puzzled expression. "By the way, where's Pen-Pen?"  
  
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"Do you understand your mission?" The stern face of a dark skinned man with a beret stared at Zophiel as the blue-skinned Agent looked into the screen of a mobile communicator. His unkempt orange brown hair swayed a bit just straying into his red eyes. Despite the seriousness of the conversation, his mouth had a slight smirk. He always found things amusing even when they weren't. That trait had helped him through most of his trials, where the only way to survive completely intact had been to detach yourself from the situation. And so he had survived intact. Almost.  
  
"Yes, sir" he replied, his voice light and cheerful. It caused his handler to scowl on the monitor. Despite the obvious disapproval, the Agent continued seemingly without a care. "We are to go to NERV. We are to present ourselves as agents for supervision. We are to report to you all things. We are to sabotage Commander Ikari Gendo's attempts for a coup de tat. And we are ensure the artifacts' safety." His lip curled downwards slightly at the word "artifacts" but his handler did not notice.  
  
The man in the monitor did not change his scowl but nodded anyway. "Very well. Since you understand you're mission, you understand that failure is not an option. Anything amounting to such will result in you termination. Those are your parameters, Agent. See that you meet them." The screen blinked off.  
  
A grin appeared on Zophiel's face as he turned to his companion. His sister was sitting beside him in the passenger of a first class VTOL transport jet. Designed for combat on the outside, the jet had been fitted for comfort on the inside. Therefore, it the VTOL had comfortable white seats and service, a far contrast to the ones used by regular troops. Three columns of seats, one on the left and two on the right, lined the main body. Above, twin rows of luminescent light gave a bright glow that contrasted sharply with the black attires of the occupants. There were no windows, perhaps for security.  
  
"You alright with this mission, sister?" he continued to grin as he studied his sibling's profile. She still wore the same black dress she had used on their earlier mission in Germany and Belgium, except for the light coat. Now the upper part of the black dress just hugged her chest while leaving her arms and shoulders bare. Lower down, the material split just a third of the way down the front of the thighs, revealing a short skirt and lengthened around the back, giving it a flowing appearance. It gave a nice contrast to her light skin and pink hair, the latter released from its usual ponytail. Zophiel almost snickered at the thought of why she liked the dress so much. It had been designed based on her former dress so that it was exactly the same, even the color. The espionage technicians had been puzzled, but since the dress followed most of the rules, they let it slide.  
  
He wasn't complaining though. The sight was something to be appreciated and he himself had chosen a suit to compliment her attire. He had left the cowl and frock behind and settled on a black one-piece tight suit, the kind infiltration agents might wear. It was one of his jobs, after all.  
  
"Well, Shizel?" he prodded. It wasn't necessary information, just an attempt for humor. Though his sister never did have a very good sense of humor, at most just smiling, and even then for only her closest companions. It wasn't that she didn't want to laugh, as he understood it. It was that she couldn't.  
  
Shizel turned towards him, meeting his expectant eyes with her own red ones. Careful not to let herself be seen by observers or surveillance equipment, she used a complex set of subtle signals combining facial expressions with a few slight finger and hand motions. "You already know."  
  
He grinned again. "Yeah, I do, don't I? I think you already knew about this mission even before I did, didn't you. Probably looking forward to it, as well. What did he tell you about our new hosts there?" he continued to pry, tilting his head to one side.  
  
She turned forwards again, a slight smile, barely detectable, playing on her lips. He groaned. It meant she wasn't going to tell him until they were almost there. She did have a sense of humor after all, albeit twisted. Probably she got it from that soul link of hers. Then again, who was he to complain? He'd been accused of having an unusual sense of humor himself.  
  
He turned towards her again and watched as she settled back into her chair for a slight nap. It was a mark of how much she trusted him that she slept at all. Alone or with any other aside from her few companions, she wouldn't sleep for days until she was in an absolutely safe place. As she closed her eyes, the slight smile was still on her lips. Probably, she was thinking about meeting the others again.  
  
He dropped his grin. With his sister asleep, he could focus on worrying about her. She was strong, he knew that, but whereas she didn't trust most people, she placed an intense amount on those whom she had come to consider her intimate friends. 'I hope you're strong enough for this.' Zophiel thought as he continued to watch over his sister. 'Both of you.'  
  
Over the intercom, the Captain announced the beginning of their eight-hour trip to Tokyo 3.  
  
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"Lord Abel, the other Fallen have been assembled."  
  
  
  
Abel awoke from his light sleep to meet the piercing eyes of Xephon. The spear-wielding Angel waited patiently as his master stood. Red eyes, the characteristic of all True Angels, had a gaze that would probably be interpreted as irritation by most, but which Abel knew to be nothing more than deep seriousness. Xephon still wore his helmet, one designed with a style resembling the ancient ones used by the Romans. His spear thrust upwards was as tall as he was. His hair, had a deep shade of teal and was let loose shaggily around his shoulders. He wore a white tunic, a relic that he would never think of discarding despite its outdated fashion. It was the same he had worn as an Angel of the Creator, and the same one he had worn when he first became a Fallen and cast down into the Abyss. Now the Abyss was his home.  
  
Letting go of his thoughts about his Second in Command, Abel stood up and began to dress in his usual silver tunic. Xephon stood guard, just in case anybody actually tried to reach them. After dressing, Abel turned towards the covered bed in which he had slept, and closed the curtains. Then turning swiftly around, he strode out of his private chambers, Xephon following silently behind him.  
  
They marched forwards in single file, Abel setting the pace with his long strides. They passed corridor after dark corridor, sometimes coming along groups of lesser Angels, technicians and warriors. These groups always stepped aside and bowed down on bended knee to Abel.  
  
Finally they arrived at the Great Hall, the same one where Arael and Armisael had been kept and died. The giant doors opened, their carvings glinting in the light from beyond. Once the doors were fully opened, Abel stepped forward and into the massive room beyond. There, six other Angels, the leaders of the Fallen, awaited.  
  
They turned towards him with their red eyes signaling different emotions. Abel strode into their midst while Xephon took his place in the space between two of them. Only then did Abel begin to speak, his lithe voice clearly filling the room.  
  
"Welcome everyone. I'm sure you're all excited to start. And also excited to hear what we have to report. But first, I'd like to thank each one of you for the part you played in our campaign and the parts you have yet to play."  
  
"Xephon!" he said turning towards his Second in Command, and bodyguard. The Angel nodded and smiled.  
  
"Sam'mael, who has paved the way for us with his capture of the German Lilim Base." Sam'mael raised his head, and then bowed low. The shape-shifting Angel was taller than Abel, with light blond hair and a young Aryan face. He wore a red tunic with gold and white stripes diagonally across the center. His black boots clapped on the floor while his rapier hung at the side. He could have passed for a very handsome human if it weren't for the red eyes.  
  
"Apollion, for opening the gates." The said Angel was a sickly looking man with mottled gray hair. He wore a much fuller white robe than Xephon, his robe covering his entire body and reaching down to his ankles. In both hands he carried the Golden Key of the Abyss, the item that at any instant could start the giant sphere. He was both primary gunner and pilot of the Abyss. He smiled wanly, and then bowed.  
  
"Af, for his exuberant duties." The red-haired Angel of Anger sneered his enthusiasm at being thanked for his part on the attack on the space station. He wore an orange uniform with black and red chains crisscrossing the front and back. His black cape floated behind him.  
  
"Not at all, milord." Af replied, still sneering. "My fighters and flagships did their work against the Lilim craft. Their starships were no match against my Wraith fighters." He blatantly ignored the fact that his losses were far greater than the Lilims'.  
  
Abel smiled before continuing.  
  
"Shalgiel, for her stifling power." The Angel of Ice smiled a frosty smile, her long blue hair drifting down her back. A silver headband kept the strands from flying in from of her eyes. The loose blue tunic and platform sandals she wore weren't much protection from the cold, yet that didn't bother her. A black top under the tunic covered her chest. It had been her job to make sure the Russian weather didn't agree with the Lilim, preventing their nearest bases from answering the German call for aid.  
  
"Shatiel, for her vigil." The dark-haired Angel of Silence tipped her head in respect but did not reply. A black figure-hugging suit was all that she wore, with black slippers and slips of the material down her arms and legs.  
  
"Last but not least, Rasiel, for her noble sacrifice." The Angel of Calamity stopped glaring at Af and bowed towards Abel. She wore a dark green dress that matched her light brown hair. Other than a few bracelets, she wore no other accessories and walked barefoot. She was still in rage over the needless sacrifice of her warriors aboard the space station. In her opinion, it had been a mistake to let Af take the helm in that mission. Of course, since it was Abel who ordered the mission, she was not about to contradict.  
  
"Now, the time has come for us to proceed to the next phase." Abel's closed his yes and curled his lip, envisioning the plan as he had outlined it. Opening his eyes again, he turned to Sam'mael. "Now Sam'mael, please tell the others of the Lilims' attempt at defense." He went outside the circle.  
  
Sam'mael bowed and then walked forwards, taking Abel's place. His rapier swayed from front to back as he walked and his face showed only grim determination. "The entire Lilim staff in NERV, Germany has been eradicated. The Lilim are struggling to find out the cause and nature of the attack. Meanwhile the remnants of their space force have regrouped and entered Asian air space. The entire fleet will arrive at NERV HQ in three more hours, with the advance guard and flagships arriving first."   
  
"For the fleet to dock and prepare would take about five hours. This would be the ideal time to attack them, as they would be busy preparing their ships. However, we expect them to expect us, as the entire city is already evacuating its citizenry and bringing in additional heavy weaponry. They are also building barricades along the mountainous borders to the north as well as the sea to the east and south."  
  
"They know of our position?" Af interrupted. "Why do they have this knowledge? Who betrayed us?"  
  
"Fool!" Rasiel scorned Af, earning her a vehement hiss from the Angel of Anger. "We attacked their bases in Germany and Orbit, yet NERV HQ did not detect our passage. They deduced that the only way for that to happen is if we were positioned somewhere east of their location. They are not all unintelligent, unlike you."  
  
Af didn't take kindly to being insulted. "Ha. The fact that you praise them shows just how unfit you are. Only weak ones such as you would need to gather information on them. I say we attack now, while they are still unprepared."  
  
Abel grinned from his position. The spat was interesting, to say the least. "Since you are so eager Af, I just might grant you the chance to eradicate these Lilim. You will attack them this afternoon, just as they finish docking their ships." He shifted his eyes over to Rasiel. "And you, Rasiel will go along to. . . advise him. Make sure that he does not launch too soon an attack."  
  
Both of the mentioned Angels startled at the orders given to them. Af, as always, managed to find his objections first. "But sir, surely you can see that I serve you better without this misfit." This caused Rasiel to turn her head. Before she could fire an insult, however, another voice joined in.  
  
"I honestly think the two of you would fit together on any mission."  
  
"Be quiet, Shalgiel." Rasiel snapped at the Snow Angel. Shalgiel just lowered the temperature and raised tempers further with her devious smile.  
  
And so did Abel, who continued to grin as he once again turned to face Sam'mael. "Any other tidbit for us, Sam'mael?"  
  
"No, sir." The red-garbed blond replied. "Except for the fact that Tabris is rumored have been transferred there."  
  
"Rumored?" Abel raised an eyebrow.  
  
Sam'mael bowed again. "My apologies Lord Abel. The Lilims have tightened their defenses considerably. It is proving difficult for my warriors to acquire new information."  
  
Abel considered his options for a moment. A lack of information could prove incapacitating to them. Still, he was confident the Lilims would not be able to stand up to an assault. "Go ahead with the next phase. Af and Rasiel, prepare for your departure."  
  
"Milord." Both Angels bowed while still fuming with each other.  
  
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"And so it begins."  
  
"What was that Zima?" a short young woman asked her considerably taller companion. Her dress consisted of a long black slit skirt dress and straps. The slit extended upwards until her belly but was compensated by plain black shorts beneath. The straps covered her upper body in lines providing barely-decent attire that still showed her belly and shoulders but hid a body one could mistake for a child except for the comparative height. Still, she did not look much older than a thirteen or fourteen year old. Black boots completed the image, making her maroon eyes and dark red hair shine. She cast an inquisitive glance at her taller companion.  
  
"Nothing Dita, just the Fallen attempting an attack here. I managed to intercept another one of their coded transmissions. Nothing for us to worry about now." He smiled and gave his partner a reassuring look, which of course she didn't buy considering his nature. He wore a cloak that resembled Dita's right to the straps, but outfitted for a male body. It still showed his belly, though he wore black pants instead of a skirt, and his sleeves extended into gloves, covering his arms entirely. His shoes looked more like black leather than boots. His dark hair stood straight, a couple of bangs hanging over his maroon eyes.  
  
Dita gave him a stern glare for the weak, in her opinion, attempt at humor. "If it was nothing for us to worry about, you wouldn't have suggested going here in the first place." She turned to look forwards at the bulking metropolis that was Tokyo 3 and the Geofront from their vantage point atop a tall tower.  
  
'We do have an affinity for tall buildings. Maybe my reception capabilities are turning me into an antenna.' Zima decided to drop the intriguing thought in favor of finding a suitable excuse for bringing them to Tokyo 3. Finding little that would convince his life long partner, he opted to tell the entire truth. "The Fallen, NERV, and SEELE are on a collision course with each other. Chances are, the forces will meet in this city. I wanted to come here to make sure none of them succeed."  
  
"And to make sure the young ones are safe." Dita finished for him. She folded her arms, and tilted her head to look at the incoming Terra ships just beginning to dock inside the Geofront. "You always did have a soft spot for them."  
  
Zima flashed his teeth for a moment and closed his eyes. "How can I not? They repaired us after our previous masters tried to punish us for failing them." He lifted a hand under Dita's chin and turned her to look straight at him. "Do you mean to tell me that you feel nothing for them?"  
  
Dita averted her eyes, unwilling to give any indication. It was a foolish notion considering that they both knew each other well enough to find most illogical patterns. The knowledge of when the other was being serious was probably the only reason that Dita had agreed to go here without knowing why. After a long silence during which Zima continued to hold Dita's chin, she finally spoke.  
  
"If you will help those children, then I will too. My purpose is your safety."  
  
Zima chuckled and moved his hand to cup Dita's cheek. "You still believe that, even after our original purpose was deleted? I know you know better than that Dita. Between the two of us, you've always been the logical one."  
  
A faint reddening appeared on Dita's cheeks before she pulled away from Zima's grasp. "If we're going, then let's go."  
  
Clothes fluttering in the early dawn breeze, Dita jumped off the roof of the tower to descend into the sprawling city, now full of armada and almost empty of its people. Zima followed her as the guardians of Tokyo 3 began to awake to a new day and the rise of a blood red sun.  
  
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In the early morning light, one can usually see silhouettes of persons or objects. However, inside the Geofront, little natural light penetrated. Because of this, even the dawn was a complete darkness to NERV's inhabitants. It was in this lightless state that the occupant of room L01 awoke.   
  
Ikari Shinji rubbed his eyes, mentally complaining from the effects of a five-hour sleep. Normally, the Third Child chose to go to bed early but Pen-Pen's antics the night before caused him to be awake until eleven. The warm water penguin had sidetracked to the Third Level Cafeteria almost immediately after leaving the Humvee and had then proceeded to exhaust NERV's supply of alcohol, usually in reserve for tired soldiers.   
  
It had taken almost an hour for Shinji to capture the delinquent penguin by himself. Rei had gone immediately to her room since she did not care about the penguin. Asuka had screamed that it wasn't in her place to be a babysitter and bird collector. Misato had been worried, but somehow Shinji had known she wouldn't be the one running after the penguin under tables, ventral ducts, pipes and chairs. That particular duty had fallen to the ever dependable, ever coercible, and ever forcible, Third Child.  
  
'At least I was able to talk to her in my dreams', Shinji thought wearily, leaning back his neck and stretching his cramp muscles. He reached for the light switch beside his bed and turned it on. The light revealed his room, which was hardly any more luxurious than his previous room in the apartment. The walls and ceilings were painted a midnight blue. There was a medium sized cot served as his bed, a little too large but comfortable. There was the dresser with his necessities such as his toothbrush and. Well, not much else. His SDAT lay on the dresser as well.  
  
He swung his legs over the side of the cot and stood up without bothering with the slippers. His hair was a bit messy but still in place. His plain white shirt gave a sharp contrast to the soft black material of his pants. He walked into the one-person refresher at the corner of the room and splashed water into his face. Rubbing off with a towel, he headed back to his bed and sat down to contemplate the coming meetings. 'I miss them. That's not unusual. She said she missed them too even if she does have her brother with her. I hope they get along with Asuka, Rei and Misato.'  
  
He chuckled silently at the thought. Most of them were so sure of themselves, so confident, that he wasn't sure if their personalities would blend or clash. He frowned as he thought of his father. When the time to introduce them came, his father would surely be angry. 'If he is, I can't do anything about it. I just hope he learns to accept it and change.' Shinji took a deep breath. 'Father. I wish I could tell you about Mother. Then we might not end up hating each other. And Rei could join us, too. And Misato and Asuka, though I'm not sure if she would agree.'  
  
A sudden sound pricked at his hearing and he turned it towards the source. It was coming from just outside his door, as if people were conversing in the hallway. Wondering who they could be, Shinji reached out to the electronic lock beside his door.  
  
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Among the myriad starships landing in NERV was one 777 Jet. It was white and gray, with occasional black lines. Compared to other jets in its series, the 777 was rather small. With the VTOL engines attached along the fuselage and wings, it had the maneuverability of a fighter, and the capability for stealth modifications under emergencies. On it's side could be seen the familiar logo of a blue eagle on a gold background.  
  
The jet was just taxiing off the runway and into one of the massive hangers of NERV HQ. Section 2 agents lined the tarmac in a show of security. At the back of the hanger, Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki stood waiting for the passengers to get off the plane. As the plane stopped in the hanger, one of the side doors opened. A ladder cart was rolled towards the plane.  
  
Three figures appeared at the top as the ladder came down. The first one was a blonde man dressed in a blue business suit. The two figures behind him were female, the first one a tall woman with a gray office dress, her hair in a bun and, Fuyutsuki noted, the badge of the UN International Police pinned to her right shoulder. The second one was a teenage girl in the black suit of the USSF. Fuyutsuki blinked, then decided his age was playing tricks on his eyes. There was no way a teenage girl would be in the USSF. He shrugged it off as some tactic to mislead attackers. All three of the new visitors wore dark square glasses.  
  
They walked down the stairs towards Fuyutsuki who extended his hand. "Welcome to Tokyo 3, Japan, Ambassador Masters. The UN Council told us of your arrival."  
  
The blonde man smiled smoothly and extended his own hand. Grasping Fuyutsuki's palm in a firm handshake. "Thank you. . .Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki, right? As I understood, it should be the primary commanding officer's job to welcome delegates?"  
  
Fuyutsuki retracted his hand from the other's strong grip and offered an apologetic smile of his own. "Unfortunately, the Commander is rather busy at the moment, dealing with his own duties. As you can see, you're coming has been timed most unfortunately. We are still receiving survivors from the other bases. However, we have prepared quarters for you and", gesturing to the women, "your subordinates."  
  
Ambassador Masters' smile didn't leave his face. "I guess that's okay. Anyway, Sub-Commander, I would like to negotiate the ownership of the MP Evangelion Units while I am here. My country feels that she needs additional protection from what just happened."  
  
Fuyutsuki didn't change his expression either. "Well, I can see your need but that would have to wait until the Commander is finished. Until then, may I assign an escort to your quarters?"  
  
Masters closed his eyes, then opened them again. His smile, if possible, grew even smugger. "In this case that would be very welcome. Now, if I may introduce my subordinates." He gestured to the two females behind him.  
  
"This is Lt. Li from the International Police, Hong Kong Division. She worked under us as a transfer from her country, under the DC Treaty. Because of her background, she would also report back to her country when we are finished."  
  
Lt. Li was the tall woman with the gray business suit and the wrapped hair. She bowed slightly to Fuyutsuki, and then saluted, a double greeting for both posterity and humility. Fuyutsuki returned the gesture with a slight bow, ignoring the fact that Lt. Li had just been announced as a public spy. She couldn't go anywhere into classified matters but neither could she be legally touched, and what she sees could be damaging enough.  
  
"And my other subordinate, Lt. Kasugano of the USSF. I think it's obvious why she was chosen to go along with me."  
  
Apparently, Kasugano was the agent that Fuyutsuki had earlier mistaken for a teenager. She was a little short, about the Children's height, with dark brown hair. The dark glasses she wore hid her eyes, and the black suit she wore just added to her overall appearance. She was petite. She was chewing gum. Fuyutsuki blinked again. She grinned at him. Fuyutsuki noticed a note of familiarity in that grin but it disappeared before he could figure it out. Deciding that the USSF agent was just eccentric, he turned his attention back to Masters.  
  
"Interesting subordinates, Ambassador."  
  
"Yeah! I think so too." And Masters grinned again. "But I think they're getting impatient now. What did you say about those quarters?"  
  
Fuyutsuki tried not to scowl. 'Typical American arrogance.' He thought. Motioning to four Section 2 agents, he gave them orders for the American guests to be showed to their new quarters. The four agents responded with a salute and then turned to Ambassador Masters and the two female agents. Masters gave a nod and said, "I'll see you later, Sub-Commander" before following the Section 2 agents. Lt. Li and Lt. Kasugano followed behind him. Fuyutsuki watched them until they disappeared around a corner.  
  
They were led to the same corridor in where Misato had been transferring the Children several hours earlier. The Section 2 agents guided them to the three doors with the eagle logo, then saluted and left. Masters opened the door to R09. He looked inside the room and grinned at the mildly luxurious accommodations. He turned around to speak but Lt. Li stopped him with a finger to his lips. He raised an eyebrow but complied. The Chinese lieutenant stepped into the room and attached a small device to the door. She then opened rooms R08 and R10 and attached similar devices just inside the door. The other two just watched.  
  
When the rooms had been to her satisfaction, Lt. Li turned to them and beckoned inside the middle room. They followed her lead without a word. Only inside did she speak in English only slightly affected by a Chinese accent. "You can talk now."  
  
Lt. Kasugano grinned and stretched her arms behind her back. When she spoke, it was in Japanese. "You knew they would bug us."  
  
Li nodded. She sat down on the single bed in the room, a double bed with a blue mattresses and a white headboard. She replied in Japanese as well. "I thought I did. But apparently they did not. Those jammers I placed were just for precaution."  
  
Masters shrugged and took off his sunglasses to reveal his blue eyes. He began to take off his tie and his blue suit. Underneath, he wore a red shirt that showed some bulging muscles. "They probably realized that we don't have any information for them. Or they just decided we're not worth the trouble. Ahhh. . . Man, was it hot in that suit."  
  
Kasugano giggled. "You're still not used to those suits, Ambassador Masters?"  
  
Masters didn't know whether to be annoyed, irritated, or amused. "Call me Ken, Sakura. You're the only one I know who can make my name sound like an insult."  
  
Kasugano Sakura leaned back on the wall and removed her own glasses to reveal soft brown eyes. "That's just for all of the times you called me a kid. What about you Chun Li? What do you think of our new rooms?" She looked at the Chinese brunette.  
  
Chun Li looked around. "It's okay. At least we've got an air conditioner. Now I think we better get to our own rooms before Ken here decides to try something."  
  
The blonde shot her an annoyed look. "Oh, ha, ha. I'd take you if you wanted but do you really think I'd do anything with a fourteen year old?" he asked, jerking his head towards Sakura who was already heading out. Chun Li smirked at the barb but chose not to reply, following Sakura out.  
  
In the corridor, Sakura was already going inside R08. She asked one last question before going inside. "Hey Chun Li, where do you think everybody else is? I heard the Pilots were here too."  
  
Chun Li lifted her palms in a shrugging manner. "Probably sleeping. It IS four in the morning here right now. You better get a few hours of sleep as well Sakura."  
  
"Never mind that I already got enough sleep on the plane to last three days." The younger brunette muttered to herself. To Chun Li, she said, "Alright. G'night Chun Li." After which Sakura entered her room.  
  
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Hakuhoin Ayano Elizabeth tried not to shiver as the gaze of Ikari Gendo passed over her figure. The tall, intimidating Commander of NERV was watching over them. To her, it felt as if the Commander was trying to pry into all her secrets. Ayano prayed that she wouldn't be recognized.  
  
Ayano looked at Yoko who seemed as confident as ever. Only Ayano could see that the lead pilot was fisting her hands inside the large trench jacket she wore. Ayano herself had insisted upon Yoko's attire to make sure that the NERV Commander would not recognize them as of yet. Aside from the jacket, Yoko now wore shades and a gold trimmed cap. She would have looked like a man if it weren't for her long brown hair. The outfit had aroused the curiosity in her squadron but they let it go after a few questions. After all, right now there were more important things than their leaders' dress code.  
  
Such a thing was the ongoing conversation between Admiral Leon, their commanding officer and Commander Ikari, the commander of the base they had come to. Throughout the conversation, Commander Ikari had been stoic and so far very hard to read. He had also glanced at the Terra pilots a few times. Ayano silently wished that she had the power to read minds. It would have definitely helped in their situation. The girls had kept a respectful distance from the two high ranked officers so they couldn't hear what was being said.  
  
Finally, Admiral Leon stood up, bringing a sigh of relief from the four girls waiting for her. She turned around and walked towards the four pilots, her uniform giving her a picture of honorable dignity unlike the image of fear that Commander Ikari imposed. The Commander kept standing where he was.  
  
When the Admiral reached the group, Madoka was the first to speak. "So are we staying or what?" she demanded, her mantis bangs swaying.  
  
"Madoka, can you be at least a little respectful." Momiji chastised. Madoka bit her lip but didn't make any comment. Then Admiral Leon spoke.  
  
"Well, we are staying here." She continued before Madoka could turn her immediate smile into a yell. "However, we have a price to pay for this accommodation. According to the good Commander Ikari" and a tinge of sarcasm touched her voice "we stay on the condition that he is in control of the fleet. Which means that I report to him now."  
  
"What!" Madoka exploded. "But you're an Admiral! You outrank him several times! Why should we-" and then Yoko clamped a hand over her mouth to shut her up.  
  
"If that's okay with you, Admiral Leon, then it's fine with me" the green-eyed girl announced.  
  
"Yoko-san?" Ayano tried to understand why her best friend wasn't putting up a fight.  
  
"Hey, Yoko. Are you sure about this?" Momiji interjected. The tomboy was looking at her team captain with a worried expression. And well she might. Yamamoto Yoko wasn't known for backing out of a battle and it would be worrying if she started now.  
  
"I'm sure Momiji. And you shut up mirrors, I'm not dumb." The last part was directed at Madoka who was struggling to yell her conversational donation. Yoko didn't say anything to Ayano but gave her an answering nod, which promised for all questions to be answered later.  
  
"Well then. If you're all in agreement on this, I'll take our decision to our gracious host. Go on to your rooms." Admiral Leon fully ignored Madoka's still squirming form and turned back to Commander Ikari. The girls turned towards a Section 2 agent standing nearby. The agent saluted and turned around. With a bit of hesitation, especially on Madoka's part, the girls followed him out.  
  
As soon as they were in the bustle of workers and technicians working in the airfields on their way to the main buildings, Ayano turned to Yoko and whispered her question in English. "Why did you let him do that?"  
  
Yoko smirked and whispered back. "It wouldn't have done us any good if he had gotten suspicious. So I'm going along with him for now. When we're deep enough in this that he thinks we have a use, then we'll resist him."  
  
Ayano thought it over and decided her best friend was right. If they were going to have a chance at winning, they had to play along for now.  
  
"Besides," Yoko added, a dark smirk over her face, eyes hidden behind her shades. "We can't let Uncle Rokubungi know about us until we've met up with Hotshot and the others."  
  
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End of Chapter 05 


	6. Chapter 06: Dawn of Battle

Chapter 06 

A slender hand reached forwards and pressed the button inactivating the lock on a door. Ikari Shinji stepped forward, the electronic door sensing him and opening to accommodate the resident. He looked up and down the passageway with a puzzled expression.

"Weird. I could have sworn I heard someone talking here." He chalked the feeling up to nerves and went back inside his room. The door swished closed behind him. He went to the refresher and began brushing his teeth. Afterwards, he splashed some water on his face to make sure he was wide- awake. Taking a towel, he dried his hands and face, and then went to his closet to put on a new shirt.

'She said she's coming soon. The others may be here already. I'll take a walk around and see if anything new has come up.' He put on a fresh pair of black pants, then once again stepped out the door. He turned right and began walking to the elevator. His steps echoed in the empty hallway.

Truthfully, he did not expect to see much of anyone at half past four in the morning. Which was why he was mildly surprised to sense another's presence in the hallway. The presence spoke before he did. "Taking a stroll around? Or are you interested in seeing you're friends before the battle begins?"

"Both, really." The Third Child gave a soft smile at his absent partner in the conversation. Said converser decided to make his appearance a moment later just behind Shinji. "It's good to see you again, Zima."

Zima chuckled. "And you too, little one. Though what I tell you may even be better than just seeing me. I'll let you know on the way." The two of them entered the elevator.

Shinji stood inside, his shoulders a bit humped over. It was a trait he had acquired since piloting the Evangelion. Zima on the other hand, preferred to lean back, his arms crossed over his chest and his visor still over his eyes. Shinji pushed the button for the Command Level, and the elevator began its ride downwards.

Shinji glanced at the Zima as the taller man settled into the relatively long elevator ride. "So where's Dita? She didn't leave you, did she?"

Zima smiled. "Hardly. I had to persuade her to let me go in on my own. She's still out there waiting for me just in case I get caught or something. Of course, that would never happen."

"She's right you know. What if you do get caught?"

Zima waved his hand in an eccentric shrug. "Don't worry about that. I made sure to adjust the filtering software on their computers. Now the cameras won't even pick you up. They may find it strange if someone sees you walking around and the security cameras don't."

Shinji turned his head forward again. "I doubt it. Strange things are not out of the ordinary in this place. In fact, you fit right in."

This time Zima let out a chuckle before replying. "Look who's talking. You've got half a dozen girls around you. Are you sure your girlfriends don't mind sharing?" Shinji's face erupted in a hot blush, which he barely managed to get under control.

"Did. . .Didn't you have something to tell me?" For the second time in 24 hours, Shinji found himself trying to change the subject in an effort to avoid an awkward situation. Fortunately for him, Zima could be merciful when he wanted to.

Turning towards the Third Child, Zima divulged the information that would have had both of them killed if a certain NERV Commander knew. "SEELE has commissioned the entire Terra fleet here as both a diversion and a defense. You probably already know about Zophiel and Shizel. The Americans have sent a party here for "diplomatic" reasons. In reality, they're as desperate as SEELE is. In the party, however, is one of our, or should I say your, friends."

"Meanwhile, I've learned from the files here that you're father is doing a little investigation of his own. He has also erased all the files concerning one Kaji Ryouji."

"Kaji-san's dead?" Shinji snapped his towards the cyber system's hacker at the new piece of information.

"Not exactly." Zima replied in a more managed tone. "All of his files have been erased, including birth documents, education, dental records, everything. It's as if Commander Ikari wanted him to disappear as if he never existed or. . ."

"If Kaji-san is under Father's protection. No information, no knowledge, Kaji would be free to learn as long as he worked for Father." Shinji turned to face Zima. "Can you meet him?"

Zima paused for a moment. "You mean, ask him if he was loyal to your father or was just forced to go along."

Shinji nodded. "Something like that. I still trust him and it's hurting Misato that she doesn't know about him. Asuka too, though she doesn't show it as clearly."

Zima leaned back against the elevator wall again. "Alright. I'll have to be careful not to let him know that I'm with you, though. Maybe it's time to play the triple agent once more." He turned back to Shinji. "One other thing. There are some new recruits in NERV that you might find interesting."

"Interesting?" Shinji asked just as the elevator doors opened.

"Go to the Evangelion bay and look for yourself. I guarantee you'll be interested." Zima finished before going stepping off the elevator, and walking off a fork in the hallway.

Shinji stopped for a moment to think over what Zima had said. Finding nothing that would give any indication, he resolved to do as he had been advised. He walked to the Evangelion bay alone. He didn't notice anyone else aside from a few bodyguards and agents guarding the corridors. They already knew him so they let him pass. He walked right into the bay and found himself surprised by what he saw.

Instead of three Evangelion Units, he now found himself facing four gigantic biomechanical creations. Only one of them didn't look like the Evangelions. He didn't want to go in for a closer look, so he settled for observing from the shadows of the doorway, and found himself looking up at a very large robot. Its head had an elongated reptilian shape. The robot also had wings attached to frames at the back and side. It was bulkier than the Evangelions but looked like it had considerable firepower. The whole thing was painted gray and white.

Suddenly the robot moved its arm. Only then did Shinji notice that cables attached the entire robot to harnesses around it. These cables extended into the walls and ground and into the platform from where the technicians would usually be in. 'Maybe I can know should go up there.' Shinji thought. He turned around and went up the hallway that would take him to the platform.

As the door opened, he could hear a barrage of conversations taking place. Stepping inside, he found himself staring at the techs as they hurried on their duties. Dr. Akagi was standing to the side with a clipboard at hand, while Maya, Shigeru, and Makoto were monitoring the equipment. None of these were fairly unusual except for three things.

The first reason was that aside from him, none of the other Evangelion pilots were supposed to be up yet. The second and third reasons were the two teenagers in the platform. One was a girl with auburn hair who had her back turned towards him. She was wearing a uniform from his school. The second one was a boy who Shinji was quite familiar with.

"Kensuke?" he wondered out loud

Apparently Dr. Akagi heard him, because she turned towards the source of the sound. Judging by the brief look on her face, Shinji had managed to give her a mild surprise of his own. "Shinji! I wasn't expecting to see you here."

The girl turned around and Shinji found himself staring into the widened blue-gray eyes of Kirishima Mana. "Shinji?"

A brief silence overtook the trio. Or would have been silent if not for the constant reports from the three techs and Kensuke who seemed not to notice Shinji's arrival. Eventually, Shinji managed to break the silence. "Umm. . .can I ask what's going on here?"

Dr. Akagi glanced at Mana for a second. Her eyes seemed to ask the same question that Shinji just asked. Mana sighed and dipped her head. "I guess it's okay since you would have found out anyway."

She raised her head to look at Shinji directly. "Shinji, it was no coincidence that I transferred to your class. I . . . I'm actually the pilot of a Trident. That's the name of the robot you see outside. I was sent here by the JSSDF, the ones who created the Tridents, to see if I could find out about you and the other pilots."

Shinji tried to act surprised at what Mana had just told him. He'd been acting for so long in front of almost everyone that it was almost second nature to him. He could bluff his way out of most situations by pretending to be something he wasn't. Or rather, something that he was but wasn't. The realization sparked a brief pang of sadness within him. 'A half-truth.' Shinji thought, while looking at Mana. 'You and I are more similar than you think, Kirishima-san. But at least, you've told me now. I wonder if I could do the same.'

He replied before Mana could mistake his silence for shock. Dr. Akagi had already turned her attention back to the Trident or at least pretended to. "So. . .were you going to spy on us?"

Mana gave him a sad smile. "I was, at first. But I grew to like it here. And as cliché as it may sound, I actually meant it when I said you were cute."

Shinji blushed. For all his experience in fooling people, he still couldn't control blushing when most people commented on his looks. Or, in fact, anything sexual in nature. "Then. . . why are you here? If you were supposed to be spying on us, why are you telling me this now."

"'Cause she and her friends were almost hunted down and killed," Kensuke's voice joined the conversation. The otaku had swung around in his seat and now faced Mana and Shinji. "Hey Shinji! I'm sure you're curious about why I'm here as well, but I'll tell you later. As for Kirishima, I was told that she defected when the JSSDF killed her friend and almost killed her off as well."

This was something unexpected for Shinji. Granted, the JSSDF had minimal connections with NERV and was only controlled from afar by SEELE, but he still should have known about this. Remembering Zima's last words before leaving, he realized that Mana was probably whom the android had meant. 'Leave it to Zima to milk the suspense.' Shinji thought dryly.

Mana turned back to Shinji with a shaky smile. "I wouldn't blame you if you're mad at me. I'd be mad too, if somebody did what I did. But, I still want to be friends. If, you would."

Shinji frowned slightly. He had known for some time thanks to Zima about Mana's true purpose, but her personal intentions had always been her own. 'Can I trust her? Maybe she just wants to use me like my father. No! She's not lying, that much I can tell. I should give her the benefit of the doubt now.'

In reply to Mana's statement, he said. "Well, it's not really my right to judge what you want to do. But I would like to have you as a friend. I'd like that."

Mana beamed at the statement. Of course, this was rather marred by what Kensuke said next. "Now that you're done scoring with girls, Shinji, you have to see what's up with the Trident!"

Kensuke turned back to his console totally ignoring the bright flushes on Shinji and Mana's faces. "It's not as cool as the Evas but it's still great! Take a look at the modifications I made. The original Triton design was good enough, but I added a little more height and density to the legs to make it match with the Evas. Of course, in a real fight, the Evas would win with their AT Fields, but I've added a lot of auxiliary weapons to make the Trident better. And that's just Musashi's Trident. Wait 'till you see what I have planned for Mana's new one! I already have the reposition-able thrusters in 3D models, pretty soon, with Dr. Akagi's help, I'll be making these babies in the dozens."

Dr. Akagi stepped in before Kensuke's enthusiasm carried him overboard. "Just remember that we're only making them for preparation and for Mana. You are not going to make as many toys as you want."

"Yes Ma'am," Kensuke said in that voice teenagers used with teachers when they said they'd do something they wouldn't really do. Apparently, Dr. Akagi wasn't fooled by Kensuke's statement but decided to let it go. Instead she turned her attention to Mana and Shinji who had stopped blushing only to sweat drop at Kensuke's speech.

"Since you're in on this Shinji, I might as well tell you the rest about the Triton. That robot you see outside is not the original design, but rather something we came up with overnight. Your enthusiastic friend here," glancing at the still-absorbed Kensuke "was able to come up with a brand new design for the system, so we upgraded the entire structure. It's no match for the Evangelions, but Musashi and Mana should be able to provide some back-up for you in a heated battle. Which, it turns out, may not be too far off."

"Who's Musashi?" Shinji asked, while thinking of a way to make Zima stop playing around when things were serious.

Mana stretched her hands behind the small of her back. "Oh, he's my friend and another pilot from the JSSDF. He was the one who came to me and told me about the plans to get us terminated from service." Mana suddenly seemed to lose her cheerful demeanor as quickly as she had gotten it. "There was supposed to be another one of us, but he. . . didn't make it."

Shinji was too familiar with death to feel any more than a strong pang of sorrow. At the same time, he was familiar enough with death to know what many people went through. "I'm sorry."

Mana wiped a hand across her face, as if trying to stop unshed tears. "No, it's not your fault. I'm glad Musashi and I made it out though Keita didn't."

"Keita? That was his name, right?"

"Yes. His full name was Asari Keita. He was a nice boy, if a little timid. He looked more like he should have been in a church, with his freckles and curled hair." Mana sighed. "He and Musashi were my best friends in the JSSDF. Let's face it, when you're the only three children in a military organization, you always develop a bond. I really miss him, and I know Musashi does too."

Mana was silent for a long time after that so Shinji tried to continue with another question. "What about Musashi? Is he the one piloting the Trident right now?"

"Yes, that's him. Come to think of it, I'm not surprised that he was the one who made it out. Lee Strasburg Musashi; he was like a leader to Keita and me. The JSSDF classified me as the smartest, but Musashi would always lead the charge when we were training. Sometimes, he takes his leadership too seriously, though. That's why when Keita died, Musashi tried to come for me."

Shinji smiled. "He sounds like a really great guy."

Mana smiled back. "Oh, he is. Don't worry, you'll get to meet him once the analysis is done. Aida-kun is still trying to figure out how to accommodate the communications equipment to the new design, so we won't be able to talk to him until after training."

In the distance, a bell was suddenly rung. Dr. Akagi peered over her shoulder at the direction of the sound, then began giving out orders. "Alright everyone, it's 6:30 A.M. Time for breakfast, so let's wrap things up. Someone tell Lee to get out of the Triton."

"Yes, Sempai." Maya answered from her station. Makoto and Shigeru also signaled their readiness.

"Just a second, Doc!" Kensuke called. "I've almost gotten the results for the pivotal gear in the midsection. Once we've determined the needed center of gravity to balance the Triton . . ."

"That's enough, Aida."

"But. . ."

"We can do that, later. Stop rushing, you're more enthusiastic than Maya was on her first day."

Maya blushed, unsure whether the statement was a compliment or not. Kensuke frowned but started to close his terminal.

* * *

The ring of the bell awakened a sleeping redhead from her slumber. With a slender arm, she raised her right hand to slam down on the offending alarm, only to realize that it wasn't her alarm clock that was ringing. This realization was aided when her slender palm smashed into the hard steel of her bedside cabinet.

Muttering explicit curses in three languages, Asuka threw off the covers and headed for the door to demand what in hell was making the noise. Upon reaching the electronic door of her room, the door slid open to reveal Ayanami Rei in her school uniform, Katsuragi Misato in her usual morning attire, and a blonde man rubbing his jaw and lying against the floor.

"What the hell was that for?" The man shouted out in English. Asuka, who was just about to ask the same question, was stunned to hear somebody apparently talking in a language another than the Japanese she had gotten used to in the last year. This was further aggravated when the doors all over the corridor began opening, most of their occupants still in a state of drowsiness. This exploded into pandemonium as each of them finally acknowledged the presence of others in the hallway, and began yelling almost immediately. A few, Asuka noticed, were looking as shocked and silent as she was, except for Rei who just stood there without a care and a pale guy beside her who was just grinning like an idiot. This would have continued for a while if an overhead speaker didn't begin to blare and a female voice heard above the din.

"Attention occupants of Level Five Residence Section. Due to the recentness of your arrival to NERV HQ, you are excused from the regular morning schedule. Be advised however, that the morning bell will signal the time for breakfast from now on at precisely 0630 hours. You are therefore advised to prepare yourself for the morning meal as soon as possible."

At the announcement, the rest of the loud crowd was cowed into silence. Then almost immediately, each one suddenly dashed back into his/her room. It was as if they had suddenly become aware of their current state of undress which, considering that they had just woken up, was likely to be the case. Asuka was one of those who immediately went into her room and locked the door. Just before she did so, she caught a glimpse of Misato making a dash to her own room, and Rei still standing there.

* * *

Shinji, Kensuke, Mana, and Musashi walked out of the elevator into the Cafeteria of NERV Level Three. Musashi was still in his pilot gear, but most of the staff had seen the plugsuits so they weren't too surprised.

Kensuke was babbling about the technological capabilities of the "Triton Version 2.2" design as he called it. It was supposed to be Mana's new robot. Meanwhile Musashi just listened to him with a polite and semi- interested air.

Shinji's mind drifted back to his first meeting with Musashi a few minutes later. The three of them, Kensuke, Mana, and Shinji had just left the platform and gone into the Evangelion Bay. Shinji's first glimpse of Musashi was when the pilot jumped out of the cockpit of his robot. He was a 14 year old boy, just over average in height, with very dark blue hair, and deeply tanned skin. It seemed to Shinji that everything about Musashi was dark at first glance. However, he could see that Musashi was just serious about his duties. Musashi's apparent dedication to his teammates reminded Shinji of how Touji treated Mari.

After seeing Musashi get out of the Triton, Mana had immediately introduced the boys to each other. Musashi had looked at Shinji when Mana mentioned Shinji as the Third Child, but Musashi's own thoughts were harder to see. It seemed to the Eva pilot that Musashi was gauging Shinji as a threat to himself and to Mana. Eventually however, Musashi extended his hand and cordially acknowledged Shinji. As for Kensuke, the Triton pilot seemed taken aback by the otaku's obsession with the Triton but accepted Kensuke as a good, if eccentric, friend. Now the four of them were heading down to the Cafeteria to eat.

". .the armaments on the dorsal cannons would add a lot of firepower. I'll have to see what I can do with the Pulse Lasers on the forelimbs, but I can tell you, it'd be so cool. The telemetry system is off on a few programs but not too many bugs and with the MAGI, it'll be a breeze. Once we get the Tritons in for the rights of production, we'd rule those Angels like the Red Headed Devil whipping Shinji in the ass. . ."

"KENSUKE!" Shinji almost screamed. He didn't have a problem with Kensuke's obsessions but he drew the line when it came to that kind of thing.

Mana giggled. "Since Shinji-kun is too kawaii to tease, why don't you tell us how you joined up with NERV, Aida-kun?"

Shinji sent her a look of gratitude. Even Musashi was having a hard time deciding whether to be sympathetic or amused at the moment. Kensuke just grinned and winked at Shinji, then proceeded to outline the entire sequence of events from when he was called in by NERV, to Dr. Akagi's telling him about joining in, Touji going back home for the night so as to pack and get his sister, and the rest of the story about how he met Mana and Musashi.

"I can tell you that it surprised me quite a bit when Kirishima-san popped in the platform. Never knew she was a spy. I'm just thankful she was sent to spy on you guys and not on me." Kensuke continued talking his way into a plate of rice and fish. "I'd have been devastated if she had taken away my diskettes containing those files on the JSDF and my porn collection."

Musashi raised an eyebrow. "JSDF files?"

Kensuke continued to blabber. "Yeah, you guys really should make a new firewall. That old one was so full of holes, I could pinpoint where each of your regular units were."

* * *

Ayanami Rei walked down the elevator corridor of Level Three NERV. She was dressed in her usual light green school uniform. Her hair was uncombed but not in disarray. Her face was held in a level gaze with her eyes staring straight ahead. Her footsteps echoed along the corridor with the soft clapping of leather on metal. Suddenly she stopped. Her eyes drifted to her right, though she did not turn her head.

"Why are you following me?" she asked with her usual calm voice.

Off to her left and behind, Nagisa Kaoru appeared with his hands clasped behind his head humming a tune. He wore black pants and a white, button up shirt in the style of Tokyo 3 Junior High. He cocked his head to the side in a distinct mockery of innocence and answered Rei's question with one of his own. "Why, whatever do you mean?"

Rei turned around to face the other Angel in a meeting of gazes. "You have been following me since the alarm went off in the Residence Section. Why?"

Kaoru dropped his hands and brought them to his pockets, locking his right leg in position while swinging his left forward. "For no other reason than the one that you happen to be going the same way as I am, and no other. Well, that and one more reason."

"And what is that?"

Kaoru stepped forwards suddenly with his hands still in his pockets, bringing him face to face with Rei. "The reason that you intrigue me. We are the same, you and I, and yet I can think of no others like us. For that reason, I want to know about you since what you are is forever linked to what I am."

He brought his head even closer to Rei's, bending over slightly to make his height even with hers. "Or rather, what I could become."

Rei didn't flinch. "You and I are not alike."

Kaoru didn't back off. "But not any more different than we are supposed to be."

Rei tilted her head ever so slightly. Her arms were still at her sides, but her eyes were fully opened and aware of any changes to Kaoru's gait and posture. "What are you?"

Kaoru's face showed a pleasant surprise for a moment before he shifted back to his original position. "I am a Child, the Fifth, and an Evangelion Reserve Pilot. For the time being."

He turned around to seemingly stare at the clean, blue walls but his eyes were closed. "I had hoped to meet the Third Child upon my arrival but it seems that my calculations concerning him were somewhat off. He is not overly unusual in his behavior of late, but I can't seem to meet him. It's as if he, who was once a pure but faltering light, was suddenly surrounded by a haze. The haze is weak but adds power to the light, making it brighter and yet at the same time, less discernable to observers."

He turned back to Rei. "I had tried to meet him early this morning but it seems he had already left. You being the closest one next to him, I chose to accompany you."

Rei's eyes narrowed as she concentrated on solving the puzzle before her. All she could see was that Kaoru was trying to do the same thing with her. "What business do you have with Ikari-kun?"

Kaoru smiled. "What business of yours is my business?"

Rei took a step towards Kaoru who held his ground. The situation had reversed from its start. "If you cause unnecessary harm to Ikari-kun, you will suffer for it. The Commander will not have him affected by outside influences unless it is under the parameters."

Kaoru avoided the implied threat with a provocation. "A soldier following her Commander's orders?" He raised a finger to his chin. "Or a mother protecting her children?" He brought his right hand under his chin in a gesture of thought. "Or perhaps a female protecting her mate." He finished his line of reason with a statement. "You are almost as interesting as the Third Child himself."

Rei's answer was no answer to the question. "The cause does not matter if the outcome will be the same. Harm Ikari-kun and your life will not be guaranteed. Unless the Commander intervenes, I can make sure of that. I follow the Commander and nobody else."

With that, Rei turned back to her way, going towards the elevator. Kaoru watched her go with a smile.

"So you say, little sister. So you say."

He set to following her again. They arrived at the Cafeteria moments after Shinji left.

* * *

"Well, we have to get back to the platform. We still have a few adjustments to make before my Tritons are battle ready." Kensuke said, rubbing his hands.

"Your Tritons?" Shinji asked.

"Heh, heh, I meant our Tritons, of course. Come on, let's go." Kensuke raised a finger high as if leading a charge, then raced to the Cafeteria exit like a madman, nearly colliding with an agent heading to the counter. Shinji, Mana, and Musashi looked at each other and shrugged then went after Kensuke.

Barely a moment after Shinji and the others went out the exit, Rei and Kaoru came in the Cafeteria entrance. Rei went to the counter and picked out a few vegetable dishes and went to seat down at a table. Half a second later, Kaoru sat down with his own pickings of vegetables and noodles. Rei glanced at him for a second but didn't say anything. For his part, Kaoru just grinned and ate.

As the two albinos ate, the Cafeteria door opened and four girls came in. They immediately headed over to the counter, talking as they walked.

"Can you believe this place? I've never been so embarrassed before in my entire life!" Midou Madoka was complaining again, though this time the other girls agreed with her. Her dress swirled around her, mimicking her hair, as she stalked to the counter.

"I'm not sure, but I don't think we should be expected to wake up at the ring of a bell like we're in some sort of boot camp." Kagariya Momiji, once again dressed in a white coat and red pants, leaned against the line railing.

"Granted this is a military base. But you'd expect to be told in advance about wake-up calls." Yamamoto Yoko yawned. Her dark glasses were gone, and she was wearing a pair of jeans with a T-shirt. Her waist-length brown hair had a few loose strands but was otherwise in order. "I got less than three hours sleep. By the way, thanks for waking me up again, Ayano- chan."

Ayano smiled, her prim image softening. She wore a deep gray jacket over a lighter gray dress. Her conservative dress and pony tailed ribbon clashed against her best friend's outgoing manner but it suited her nonetheless. "It was nothing, Yoko-san."

"Yoko probably fell asleep the minute she closed her door." Madoka waved a spoon in the air with her chin raised to emphasize the point.

"Oh, and you were comfortable with just two hours sleep?" Yoko retorted.

Indeed, Madoka had two dark bags under her eyes from the lack of sleep. Her bright forehead only made them more noticeable. She glared at Yoko through lowered lids. "I would not even dignify that with a response."

Yoko just sat down at their table and began eating. "Like you could dignify anything, Madoka."

Momiji changed the subject with a well-timed jerk of her head. "Hey girls, is it just me or does those two look a bit strange to you?" She was pointing right at Rei and Kaoru's table.

Madoka turned around to get a better view. "Just a couple of albinos. Weird, but not too weird."

"It's not the albino skin." Momiji persisted. "Look at their hair and eyes. I know albinos are supposed to have light hair but isn't blue and silver too much? Plus, their eyes are a deep red."

Madoka shrugged. "Probably just some dye and contact lenses. What do you think, Cat-woman?"

Yoko shook her head and concentrated on cutting her steak. "I think you shouldn't gossip about other people so much, Mirror-head. It's bound to reflect on your own appearance sooner or later."

Madoka grimaced but didn't reply as hunger got the better of her. She dug into her own food while trying to think of a smart comeback.

Contrary to what she had said however, Yoko was looking at the two Evangelion Pilots out of the corner of her eye. So was Ayano.

Ayano was trying to decide whether it was better to try and talk to Yoko about the two pilots now, or later. She decided to find out for herself whether the two were who and what she expected they were. Half closing her eyes, she concentrated on the two Evangelion Pilots.

Rei suddenly felt as if she was being watched. That wasn't unusual since she was being watched by Section 2 most the time, but now she felt as if someone was trying to pry into her. She struggled to find the source of the discomfort.

"Another one." Kaoru's voice held a mixture of surprise, admiration, and glee. "I didn't know there were more! But by the look and feel of this one, she was created naturally. Not unlike us and yet not like us. Very, very interesting.

Rei looked at Kaoru to find him looking back at her. Yet his mind seemed to be elsewhere.

"She's as surprised of us as we are of her." He continued. "I feel another one close by, but I can't tell where. No matter. Where there's one, there's bound to be more. Now she's trying to find out if we are what we seem to be."

He winked at Rei. "Or rather what I seem to be. Maybe I should give her a direct answer."

Without warning he turned over to look Ayano directly in the eye. Red met indigo, and Ayano blinked in surprise. As if it weren't enough, Kaoru flared his own AT Field to just below NERV detection level.

To the machines trying to scour the globe for dangerous AT Fields, it was a mere rise in intensity, barely worth registering. But to Ayano's probing Field, it was like a sudden bright light to someone in the darkness. The flare caused Ayano to startle and fall off to the side of her chair. She shut her eyes and dampened her own Field before it rose out of control. Dimly, she became aware if her teammates calling out to her.

"Ayano! Ayano-chan, are you all right?"

"Ayano, what's the matter?"

She felt a hand on her shoulder and opened her eyes. Turning to her right, she saw Yoko's concerned green eyes meeting her own. "You alright, Ayano?"

Taking a deep breath before answering, Ayano tried to reassure her best friend. "I'm all right now, Yoko-san. Don't worry about it."

"Good." Yoko helped Ayano up and back into her seat, before turning her line of vision to Kaoru. "Just be careful the next time you try to pry into him. He's stronger than he looks."

"Yes, Yoko-san." Ayano quietly replied. She sat back in her seat and didn't look at Kaoru anymore over the course of their meal. Madoka and Momiji were a little concerned but forgot about it when they saw that she was okay.

"Did you feel that?" Kaoru whispered to Rei. "That one with the green eyes. She's strong enough to challenge me."

Rei was staring at the quartet of girls. She had felt the three Fields clash but had judged not to get involved until she gathered more information.

"Her aura feels familiar." She whispered; more to herself than to Kaoru.

Now it was Kaoru's turn to stare at her. "Familiar? Do you mean to say that you've felt it before?" He turned back to Yoko and Ayano. "Then again, there aren't too many Lilim who can control their Fields. If I didn't know better, I'd say they were Nephilim." He frowned. "But the Nephilim were supposed to have been annihilated with the Great Cleansing. You and I are supposed to be the first and only ones since then."

He turned back to Rei. "Perhaps she is one of our sources. That would explain your familiarity."

"Maybe." Rei turned back to her food with determination and two thoughts running through her head. 'I must tell Commander Ikari about this. And yet, why does that girl feel so familiar?'

* * *

The controlled rise of one aura followed by the sudden rise of two others did not go by unnoticed. None of the sensors detected them; none of the Fallen felt them. Yet inside the shielded fortress of NERV, there were a few who felt their ripples in the light of their souls. And not all of them were even in the Cafeteria.

Shinji turned his head to look back at the direction of the Cafeteria from where he had just come. A single thought streaked through his mind.

'They're here.'

He had to control himself from running off. Turning back towards the platform, he and Mana watched as Kensuke continued to make adjustments on Musashi and his Triton.

* * *

Inside a darkened room, a pair of green eyes opened. Tousled brown bangs fell over them as their owner tried to rise. A light was turned on and the bed shifted slightly to accommodate the movements of the one on it. The green-eyed figure sat up and turned towards the door.

'Nee-san.'

A knock on the door shook the figure out of her thoughts.

"Sakura!" Chun Li's voice called out from the other side. "Sakura, are you ready yet? We have to get up now. It's already late."

The green eyes wandered over to a clock by the bedside drawer.

'Eight AM! I have to hurry before the food's gone!'

"Coming!" she called out. Reaching over to the drawer, she took a pair of brown contact lenses out of their case.

* * *

Zophiel stretched his arms.

The long trip from Europe had almost cramped the muscles in his limbs. He wasn't used to being immobile for a long time. Usually, he had to move quickly and constantly. In fact, his missions often made it necessary for him to do so. He looked out the window at the wide landing area of NERV HQ. The landing area was full of ships, yet the technicians had managed to keep the runway clear. Not that the VTOL Zophiel was on needed the space. It could probably land on a lawn.

A sudden movement to his right caught his attention and he turned to see his sister already unbuckling her seatbelt. Her skirt flowed down her legs as she stood up, uncaring that her hair was tangled from hours in the plane.

"What's the hurry, Shizel?" Zophiel asked his sister.

She turned back towards him with all seriousness and signed a brief but meaningful message.

"They're here."

Zophiel started to get up from his own seat while still questioning her. "Did he tell you that?"

A nod was all that he received but it was enough. "All right, then let's be off. I can see you're enthusiastic to see them."

Shizel was already heading to the exit ramp. Zophiel grabbed his communicator and followed her.

Across the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean, few islands still remained. With the giant tidal waves of Second Impact, many of the islands had been laid bare of fauna and faura alike. The few islands that survived were only sparsely populated, with the cities mostly built anew.

In this expansive stretch of water, there were many places that an enemy fleet could lurk and fly from the eyes of observers. Such was the plan of the Fallen who had been sent here.

A few dozen leagues east of Japan, a ship with a form reminiscent to that of a giant, black, manta ray rose up and out of the water. It had seemed to travel effortlessly in the marine environment but now flew over the surface, skimming the waterline every now and then. Flying at several knots per hour towards Japan, its landing destination of Tokyo 3.

The sleek ship had the shape of a ray with two black wings curving outwards in arced curves and ending in a slender tail. The ray was large, over a block in width, but not as high as a battleship, being only three or four stories tall. The bridge was set atop on the dorsal line, with two windows running along the sides.

Suddenly the bridge pulled back and disappeared into the armor of the ship, exposing the crew to the winds of the sea. Of course, that was exactly what Rasiel wanted.

"You take too much pleasure in this." Af remarked from behind Rasiel. The brown-haired Angel of Calamity snapped around at her partner's intrusion in one of her few pleasures. Her green dress swirled around her ankles as her bracelets clanked together.

"You, on the other hand, seem to take pleasure in aggravating others. I guess your title does suit you."

Af flinched and gritted his teeth from the insult. His red hair swayed furiously in the swift breeze as equally red eyes blazed. The chains on his suit glowed briefly, then darkened. Then he took a deep breath, and seemingly let go of his anger. He took a step forward beside Rasiel and leaned on the waist-high partition of the bridge. Below the two of them, the crew attended to their diverse duties.

Without turning to Rasiel's questioning gaze, Af spoke his part. "Though my name may suit me most of the time, this time I let it go. For I came here not to spar but to talk."

Rasiel's brown tresses flowed into the wind as she turned to look down at the view. "And what, pray tell, do you have to talk to me about. I still think that your methods in the attack consist merely of throwing yourself at the enemy with no plan or strategy."

"I made a decision in the battle to take out the enemy base. Your warriors died nobly in the cause of that mission" Af replied.

"Yet they died needlessly. Such is the need for a plan when attacking."

"Tell me." Af s voice was less mocking than usual. "What kind of planning do you usually carry out against these Lilim?"

Rasiel gestured to the ship they were on. "This ship was designed by Sam'mael. The contours prevent the Lilim from detecting us with their devices. The shielding keeps them from reading our auras. The color keeps them from seeing us with their eyes."

She turned to face Af. "All of these were planned to counter the Lilim. Abel himself advocated these plans."

Af narrowed his eyes. "Did he now?"

"Yes he did." Rasiel answered. "Plans are what allow us to succeed. Do not mistake my contempt for you, Af. I acknowledge your strength and fire on the battlefield. But I deplore your lack of wisdom when it comes to strategy. You might have served better as a follower instead of a leader."

Af snorted. "I am a follower. I follow Lord Abel."

He eyed Rasiel for a moment. "Lord Abel's orders are the only reason why I agreed to lead the attack with you. If it will please him, then I will do as he wished. If that means to tolerate your ways, then I shall do so."

"Glad am I to see us agree for once." Rasiel said dryly. "If you agree to do so, then may I present my plan for the invasion?"

"Very well." Af resigned himself.

Rasiel made a gesture and a gust of wind blew up from their surroundings. With it were particles of dust. A few moments later, the dust was condensed into shapes in front of the two Angels. Recognizable from the silhouettes was the Geofront and the rest of Tokyo 3. Rasiel walked over to one portion of the three-dimensional map and pointed to the area recognizable as Tokyo Bay.

"The olden city of the Lilim was destroyed in the wake of Adam, but the Lilim have built two more cities as such. The first one they called Tokyo 2 and was built further southwards. It is of little consequence to us at the moment."

"The second one city they built after the destruction is called Tokyo 3. Like Tokyo 2, it was modeled after their old metropolis but had several distinct differences."

"The first difference is the existence of NERV HQ or the Geofront. It is a large base extending several hundred feet above and below the terrestrial surface. In it, the Lilim guard Adam. Integral parts of the defense are the three Abominations they copied from Adam's flesh. As Sam'mael have informed us, Tabris is also said to be inside the base. Whether he is aiding the Lilim or his own kin that remains to be seen. Either way, he will most likely prove to be a detriment to our cause."

"And what of the three Abominations? Do we focus on them or on Tabris?" Af asked.

"Both. They must all be destroyed or driven aside in order for us to acquire the Adam. With his new awakening, the Lilim will be destroyed almost completely while we shall be safe in the womb of the Abyss."

"With this end in sight, we shall proceed to lay waste to the Lilim defenses of Tokyo 3."

Af frowned. "Why not just destroy the Lilim now?"

Rasiel gave him a look of contempt before answering. "We do not have the numbers or the power to destroy all of their bases. An attempt to do so would result in failure at the worst and a high loss at best. Lord Abel does not wish to tempt fate; therefore he opted for the quickest way to victory."

Af sneered. "And how do we accomplish this end?"

Rasiel gestured with her hand and the map shifted again to gain a more magnified view of Tokyo Bay. "We are to make landfall here. If you are willing, you and I are to lead the charge. Our enemy will be the abominations should they try to stop us. Our lesser warriors will swarm their other defenses." The map changed to present the passage from Tokyo Bay to the Geofront.

Rasiel dropped her hand and the map disappeared. "However, this time we do not have the advantage of surprise nor knowledge. The Lilim will most likely detect us before we are able to launch our attacks. They will engage us at sea and air, then at land. Our transports are armored and armed but they will not be able to withstand a barrage by the enemy. Therefore, we should try to make landfall as quickly as possible. The Wraiths will hold their starships at bay, while you and I lead the rest of our warriors in the main charge."

She turned towards Af with a serious expression. "The invasion must be done within the first charge. To retreat and charge anew is to invite self-destruction at Lilim hands. Our warriors do not have the ability to withstand the Lilim fire without much loss. Once we engage the Abominations, we must keep them at bay and present a clear way for our warriors. They will overrun the Lilim defenses and trap the Lilim inside their own stronghold."

Af straightened up and smiled. "Your plan is to engage our whole force in one fell swoop directly into the enemy. I cherish such a way of battle."

Rasiel glared at him. "Loathed am I to use this plan, for it is weak. Yet no other can be used in this situation. To the north and west are the mountains, only to the south and west do we stand a chance of striking and succeeding. Strike quickly enough and we shall earn this victory."

"As it should be." Af remarked. "This battle will earn us the respect of Lord Abel himself. For that honor alone, I would give my life."

"Giving your life might be the required price of this attack." Rasiel replied. "For all we know, we could very well be flying to our doom. Yet our cause demands it."

She raised her hand to the winds and the ocean breezes began to quicken. "Justice be done to those who deserve it. The winds and earth shall not give mercy to the ravagers of this world. The Lilim will fall ere the day is over!"

Af curved his lips in anticipation. "Of that, Rasiel, we can agree."

Behind the black ray, similar ships began to arise from the water. The first armada of the Fallen was in reach of Tokyo 3.

* * *

Inside the Commander's office of NERV HQ, four figures were holding a meeting. In a new development of indoor decor, the Commander had acknowledged the need for new chairs in his office.

Commander Ikari Gendo sat behind his desk in his usual position with his palms interlocked in front of his face, wearing his uniform, glasses and red scarf. Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki stood at attention to his left. Admiral Leon sat in one of the new chairs. Despite the earlier incident with the bell, Admiral Leon's uniform was as clean and proper as it ever was. And behind her, next to the door, stood a man in a black suit with a black tie, and black shades.

The door opened and Ritsuko stepped in.

"What took you so long, Doctor?" The Commander asked the scientist.

"I'm sorry, Commander. Our newest tech insisted on finishing the upgrades on Triton M1. He was very exited about it."

"I see." Commander Ikari pushed up his glasses with a finger. "Take a seat, Doctor."

Ritsuko sat down across from Admiral Leon. The two blonde women glanced at each other, but said nothing.

Ikari took note of the exchange and said, "Fuyutsuki, introduce our subordinates to each other, if you please." Despite the politeness of courtesy, the statement was clearly a command.

Fuyutsuki coughed, then said, "Very well. Dr. Akagi Ritsuko, meet Admiral Leon of the Terra Starship Fleet. She was in Command of Project T, an offshoot of Project E, until recent events forced her crew to evacuate the station. Admiral Leon, this is Dr. Akagi Ritsuko of NERV Technical Section. She is our primary developer in the biomechanical field."

"And this," Fuyutsuki gestured to the man at the door, "is Captain Hideaki Anno, head of NERV Section 2. He is the primary source of our information concerning internal affairs in NERV." Captain Anno bowed slightly.

"I'm sure none of you need to ask why you were called to this meeting." Gendo spoke. "These recent developments have revealed a threat to which none of our current defenses stand to defeat. You are here, therefore, to report the situation and so as to be informed of the next stage in the plans for defense."

"What plans, Commander?" Leon asked.

"The plans I will give to you, Admiral, in due time. First, you will be briefed of the situation. Fuyutsuki?"

Once again, the aging Sub-Commander stepped forward. "The defense of Tokyo 3 has nearly been completed. 98 of civilians have been evacuated, the rest are to be kept here at NERV or evacuated within the next two days. The defense walls to the north and south have been completed. The defense wall to the east is 67 complete but is having difficulties due to the allocation of ships and cargo from Tokyo Harbor. To the mountains in the west, we have not constructed a wall, but there are several stations to defend and report the passages should the enemy try to strike us from behind."

"The JSSDF has also agreed to cooperate with us. In the event of an enemy attack, we are free to use their resources at will. They have also donated two machines called Tritons to us for our use as auxiliary weapons."

"I was under the notion that the JSSDF did not like to share its technology." Leon remarked.

"We managed to persuade them after Dr. Akagi modified one of their machines. Their pilots are also willing." Gendo answered. "What of your pilots, Admiral?"

Leon nodded. "They are all right, if a bit lacking in rest. The morning bell was an unannounced factor, though. They also feel it is unessential."

"They are in no position to question NERV standards, Admiral." Gendo responded.

"If you say so Commander. In any case, most of the Terra ships are already docked and being refitted for engagement as we speak. We should be finished in a few more hours."

"Good. And what of the Evangelions and Tritons, Doctor?"

Ritsuko flipped through her paperboard checking each item as she listed the status changes to the giant biomechanical creations. "The Evas are in good shape. Unit 00 and Unit 02 have been completely repaired from the last battle. Unit 00's dorsal area and limbs needed new armor but that has been taken care of. Unit 01 has produced no ill or abnormal malefactions since the battle with Zeruel, though we continue to monitor its patterns as a precaution. Unit 02 took the most damage but the severed limbs have been reattached and internal connections restored."

"The Tritons are presenting problems but that was to be expected. We labeled Lee's Triton as the M1, and Kirishima's Triton as the M2. The Triton M1 has been quite helpful to our progress since Aida's insertion into the team. He found many ways to modify the Triton until it was as capable as it could be. The Triton lacks defensive power but compensates by focusing heavily on offensive power. Currently, the Triton has shoulder and dorsal missile and rocket load, straggled-laser capabilities in the forearms, and optional high-powered machine guns. It also has a hand to hand weapon in the form of the forearm claws."

"Basically, we can use the Evas as a prime assault and defense unit while the Tritons support them." Ritsuko finished, giving the clipboard to Gendo.

Gendo flipped through the papers himself before asking. "What about the pilots?"

Ritsuko leaned into her chair. "The First Child is as stable as ever. The Second Child just the opposite, still being irritated at her defeat at the hands of the 14th Angel. The Third Child showed some slight instabilities in his sync ratio, but nothing that causes even mild concern, and is most probably due to stress at school or in NERV."

"In other words, everything is as it should be. All is right with NERV."

"I hope you're as confident of this as your words make you seem to be, Doctor. I don't like surprises." Gendo said. "Captain Anno, Doctor Akagi said that there may be stress factors affecting the Children. Have your men anything to report on this matter?"

"No, sir." Anno replied crisply. "As of the last hour, the First Child has met the Fifth Child. The Second Child decided not to come out of her quarters after the episode with the morning bell, and consequently ordered some of my men to get her breakfast. Of course, my men immediately complied since the health of the Second Child was at stake as well as their own. The Fourth Child has gathered his sister and is at his house preparing for his return to NERV."

Gendo raised an eyebrow. "And what of the Third Child?"

Anno shifted slightly on his feet. "Well sir, it seems that the Third Child managed to leave his room early in the morning undetected, though we don't know how. However, he appeared almost immediately in the Evangelion Bay, and we therefore didn't deem it necessary to report the incident as a major abnormality. Since then, he has been accompanying the new arrivals around the base."

Gendo frowned. "This is the second time. Make sure to watch him further next time, Captain. You certainly don't want to be terminated from your duties due to a lack of responsibility."

Anno bowed from the waist. "I'll keep that in mind, sir. The Third Child shall be kept under closer surveillance."

Suddenly, Anno snapped up rigid. He raised a finger to his right ear, and seemed to be listening to something. Then he looked at the Commander and said quickly.

"Sir, reports are coming in about multiple Blue signals a few dozen leagues out of sea."

"Blue signals?" Admiral Leon frowned. "What does that mean?"

"It means the Angels are here." Ritsuko said, snapping up her clipboard in hand.

Gendo stared giving out orders. "Doctor Akagi and Admiral Leon, head to your respective stations immediately. Captain Anno; inform your men of the order to bring the Children to the Evangelion Bay. Dismissed."

Captain Anno bowed again and led the way out. Ritsuko and Leon followed him.

Once the trio had gone out, Gendo tapped a speaker on his desk and said. "You may enter now, Agent Kaji."

Kaji Ryouji entered in one of the Section 2 uniforms. He took off the glasses, saluted, and said mockingly. "Agent Kaji reporting for duty."

"Be careful how you speak, Agent." Gendo said calmly. "Your dislike for your work should not be reflected in your attitude towards your superiors."

"I doubt that you're my superior." Kaji said grudgingly.

Gendo ignored the comment. "Report!"

Kaji took a breath and began. "Let's see. Since you forced me to join your side, I've been trying to go deeper into the secrets of SEELE. Apparently, they know nothing of recent events aside from what you already know. As you suspected, the two Agents that they sent here are also spying for them."

Kaji reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette. "But although they don't know anything about the new Angels, they themselves have a few secrets of their own. Two of them in particular."

"Who?" Gendo asked.

"Lorenz Keel and SEELE Seven." Kaji answered.

"What kind of secrets would those two have together?" Fuyutsuki thought out loud.

"Not together." Kaji corrected him. "Apparently, those two are working apart. When you told me about the new Agents, Ikari, I tried to pry for more information about them. The strange thing is, they appeared about a year ago in the service of Lorenz Keel, but they have no records going farther than that. Not even in the files of Keel himself."

"When did they appear?"

"About a week before the Third Angel's attack." Kaji said, putting one hand in his pocket.

"A week." Gendo said as if in deep thought. "They might be related to the Angels after all."

"That's my guess." Kaji commentated. "But compared to the secrets of SEELE Seven, those two fade into the background."

"Why?" Fuyutsuki asked. "What's so important about SEELE Seven?"

"That's just it." Kaji said, raising his arms in a shrug. "Nobody knows. Seven's records ended about three years ago without a trace. Since then, nobody has seen him outside or making any business transactions. Everything needing his signature is marked electronically. That's not unusual for SEELE but even they have to come out sometime. Nobody has seen SEELE Seven's face since three years ago."

"But Ikari talked to him." Fuyutsuki voiced out. "Isn't he present at your meetings with SEELE, Commander?"

"Not exactly." Gendo said. "Whenever I have my meetings with SEELE, they do not show their faces, only monoliths and voices. The voices could have been electronically modified. Seven may know more about this than the entire committee of SEELE."

Kaji nodded. "So what do you want me to do now?"

"Continue looking for hidden secrets, Agent. That's what you're good for." Gendo said. "Dismissed."

"Yeah, yeah." Kaji said turning around.

"By the way, Agent Kaji. I wasn't informed you had an affiliation with tobacco." Gendo raised his voice just before Kaji went out the door.

"Oh, you mean this?" Kaji asked taking the unlit cigarette from his mouth between his middle and forefinger. "I don't really smoke. I just like something to chew on every now and then."

Kaji left the room as the door closed on the two Commanders still in their original positions.

Fuyutsuki talked first. "What do we do about those two Agents from SEELE?"

"We will deal with them later." Gendo answered. "For now, give them the usable rooms in the Level Five Residence Section."

"Is it wise to have them interact with the Children?"

"Of course. Few can work uninterrupted when in the company of Children. Those two will have a hard time trying to work without coming out in the open. Meanwhile we can deal with the battles."

* * *

Shinji turned at the sound of the door opening to see Asuka and Misato coming in. Misato was wearing her red and black uniform while Asuka just wore a jacket over a dress. "Good morning Asuka, Misato. What's wrong?" he asked, taking note of the grumpy looks on the faces of his former roommates.

Asuka glared at him and said. "I had to wake up at six thirty in the morning to the sound of an army bell, then listen to a bunch of crazy people at my door. Then I had to order breakfast since you weren't there. The rice they brought was too wet and the eggs were burnt. Then just as I was planning to go visit Hikari for a while, Section 2 comes up to me and says that I have to come here and save their buts from the big, bad Angels. Again!"

"Quit complaining, Asuka." Misato ordered, rubbing her head. "At least, you got your breakfast. I couldn't get a single beer the whole morning!"

"Well, I wasn't the one who went into the hall nearly naked." Asuka pointed out.

"I was just surprised. If that guy hadn't ogled me so much, I wouldn't have gotten mad and punched him in the face. It's not like I dress like that in front of everybody."

Asuka rolled her eyes. "Sure you don't."

"Do you always drink every morning?" a chipper voice asked from behind Shinji.

"Kirishima?" Asuka blinked. "What are you doing here? Wait, are you and Shinji doing something that you're not telling me?"

"Like he would tell you anything." Kensuke appeared at Shinji's other side, much to his chagrin and embarrassment. "You'd just get jealous and chase his girlfriend away."

"Shut up, Stooge, before I forget myself and break your glasses on your face!" Asuka flared.

"Oh, you must be the new pilot Ritsuko was telling me about. I'm Misato, pleased to meet you." Misato extended a hand to Mana.

"Likewise, Katsuragi-san. Shinji-kun told me a lot about you." Mana said, shaking Misato's hand.

"Did he now." Misato eyed Shinji, causing him to sweat. "I hope he didn't tell too much."

Shinji tried to get out of his predicament before it became too deep. "Umm, of course not, Misato. I was just telling her about you and Asuka since you were my roommates. You know, the same things I told Kensuke and Touji."

Asuka joined Misato's side. "If you told her the same things you told you're fellow stooges, you are dead, Third Child!"

As if to lower the rising tempers in the room, a cold breeze swept in from the opening door. Rei and Kaoru stepped inside the platform. Ritsuko, who thus far had been ignoring the entire conversation, now turned towards the group.

"Well, since all our NERV pilots are here now, you better get to changing into your suits." She said without glancing over from where she stood by Maya's terminal. The three technicians were totally absorbed in their duties while Ritsuko watched over them.

"You mean there really is an attack?" Asuka asked. She turned to Kaoru who was smiling beside the silent Rei. "And what's up with all the new weird people today?"

Kaoru spoke up. "I'm Nagisa Kaoru, designated Fifth Child of the Marduk Report." He turned to Shinji and smiled. "I'm very pleased to meet your acquaintance."

"Introductions and explanations will have to wait." Ritsuko said. "Right now, we have to prepare for the Angel attack. Shinji, Asuka, Rei, go to your changing rooms. Kaoru and Mana since we don't have anything for you to pilot right now, you're free for a while. Kensuke, get back to your station."

"Affirmative." Rei said and headed out of the room. Shinji bowed and followed her.

Asuka looked at the two of them, then everyone else. "What's the use of being a college graduate if nobody will tell you anything?" she commented, before going out herself.

As Shinji changed into his plugsuit, his thoughts wandered to the people he had met that day, the most recent one being the Fifth Child.

'He seems okay, but he's also hiding something. I'm sure he's like Rei in that respect, though he reminds me more of Zophiel or maybe Kaji- san.'

He finished with his neural connectors and got out of the dressing room.

'Whoever he is, I'll have to talk with him later. Right now, I have to fight.' He sighed. 'Fighting. I never did like it that much. Sparring is more fun.'

"It is, isn't it. In sparring nobody gets hurt." The voice was heard once again.

"You're here now, right?" Shinji asked. "You slept for a long time."

"It was rather uninteresting on the way here."

Shinji chuckled. "I wish I could say the same for my first trip to this place. That was when the Third Angel attacked."

"And now they're here again."

"Yeah."

"Fight hard, Shinji. I'll be watching. And you have the others with you now."

"I know." Shinji replied as he went back into the Evangelion Bay.

End of Chapter 6

This is it for Chapter 6. The next chapter should be out in the next two months or so, since I now have to deal with summer schooling.

There may be points that need clarification in this story, but I will only answer technical questions, and not ones concerning matters that would be revealed in further chapters. Sorry, but that would ruin the story.

As for this part, some of you may wonder at the Fallen's reference to the Evangelions and Anno's appearance.

When Rasiel called the Evangelions "the three Abominations they copied from Adam's flesh", she did so on purpose because she did not know about Lilith. In Kaoru's episode, he made it quite clear that he did not know of Lilith being in NERV. It stands to reason that the other Angels might not know that Lilith is in NERV.

As for Anno being the head of Section 2, I needed some sort of leader for Section 2, a minor character that would report directly to Gendo. Who better to represent this character than the man who gave us the story in the first place? His position in Section 2 would certainly have made him witness to the events. That's why I chose him.


End file.
